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THE 

PAINTERS' 

EDUCATOR. 



FOR STAINERS, VARNISHERS, GRAINERS, 

CARRIAGE PAINTERS, FRESCO ARTISTS, 

GILDERS AND AMATEURS; 

CONTAINING 

RULES A tf D METHODS 



IN 



EVERYTHING RELATING TO THE ARTS OF PAINTING, 
WOOD STAINING, NATURAL WOOD FINISH, PAINTING 
PLASTERED WALLS, GRAINING IN OIL, CARRIAGE 
PAINTING, HINTS ON COLORING, GOLD LEAF AND 
GILDING, BRONZING AND BURNISHING. 

BY T. C. TURNEY. 

FULL INSTRUCTIONS AND MANY 

VALUABLE RECIPES. 

ILLUSTRATED. 

1 90 1. 



r 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 
©*r Copy Received 

JUN. 5 1901 

Copyright ewtav 

CZsLtk. I O,t<?of 

CLASS CUxXe. No 

COPY S. 



8 



EEST THOU A MAN DILIGENT IN HIS BUSINESS? 
HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS. — PrOV. 22; 27. 



Copyrighted April 10, 1901. 






ENTERPRISE PRINT, 
NEVADA, OHIO. 



Introduction, 



This work, "The Painters' Educator," will recom- 
mend itself to all who dtsire, in a cheap form, full 
information as to methods of doing painting. It con- 
tains all that is practical and valuable in mixing and 
applying paint, besides giving valuable recipes and 
formulas for making many colors, important to all. 

For lack of that information which this book con- 
tains, many painters have lost many dollars. It pre- 
pares the painter to do better work, more different kinds 
of work, thus enlarging the field for making more 
money. 

Such a guide is a necessity to the amateur, and 
valuable to many more advanced, preparing them, by 
the adoption of correct and safe methods of painting, 
for thoroughness and success. It is simple and com- 
prehensive, adapted to the wants of every one, what- 
ever his occupation may be. Its principles can easily 
be understood, and readily applied in practice 

It ought to be in the hands of every one contem- 
plating painting. It will give you a knowledge of the 
manner in which your work should be properly done; 
and puts you in a position to know whether you have 
a painter doing your painting, or a mule-driver you 
have hired. It deserves, indeed, a place in every 
household. T. C. Turney. 

— Nevada, Ohio, February 5th, 1901. 



Preface, 

The object of this book is to convey, in the sim- 
plest and plainest way possible, to the amateur painte^ 
information which will help him to acquire a thorough 
knowledge of painting; and to aid, with suggestions, 
those who, having had some practice, fall short of that 
excellence which it is desirable to attain. 

The information herein is the result of years of 
experience, practice and study, given in the shortest 
way, so as not to flustrate the beginner, or waste time 
for the more experienced in reading lengthy descrip- 
tions with but little profit. The information within 
these pages is for your private use, and should be kept 
as such* 



CHAPTER I. 

Painting Wood Work, etc., on Interior of BuiloV 

ings. 

First of all see that the work is smooth and well 
dusted down. If the work you are going to paint is 
finished in pine, give it a coat of shellac first, which 
can be bought ready for use. This dries quickly, and 
as soon as you have coated all the work, run over it 
with some old, worn sandpaper; (not too badly worn,) 
and smooth it nicely. Then it is ready for the first 
coat of paint. 

Boiled or raw linseed oil should be the principle oil 
for thinning the first coat of paint, using boiled oil if 
you are in a hurry. 

Take white lead, make it the desired color, by mix- 
ing in the coloring, while the lead is quite stiff, which 
mashes up any particles of color, and distributes the 
color more evenly through the lead, adding a small 
amount of the coloring at a time until the de- 
sired color is obtained. Color as much lead 
as you think it will take to coat the work three 
times, then put in the japan. If the japan is good, use 
about one ounce to the gallon of the mixed paint when 
thinned ready for use. 

Take of this colored lead enough to first coat the 



12 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

work; thin with raw or boiled linseed oil as your judg- 
ment will say; though if you use the raw, use more 
japan; thin nearly to the proper consistency wHh the 
oil; then finish with turpentine. If you wish you can 
omit this coat where the work has received a coat of 
shellac. 

For first coat (not priming coat) it will take about 
one gallon of oil and one pint of turpentine to twenty- 
five pounds of white lead. You must use your judg- 
ment with regard to the thinning of your paint, for there 
can be no exact rule laid down for this, for the pigments 
are not always of the same thickness and density. 
However the above rule will be a good guide for the 
beginner. 

Now provide yourself with a small brush, such as 
a No. 5, sash tool, or a one inch, extra extra, flat varnish 
brush, for tracing or painting any parts you can not do 
with a large brush; and a No. 5-0 or 6-0 round paint 
brush, or a flat wall brush, three and one half inches 
wide. Always get the best, they are the cheapest; 
good work being impossible with poor tools. 

Now you are ready to give the work the first coat. 
Apply the paint smoothly and evenly. Do not get in 
a hurry. Make long, sweeping strokes with the brush. 
Avoid the short, jerky movement. 

Paint the windows and doors, always painting the 
highest work first. 

Do not use too much paint, nor too little; but just 
enough to give it a nice even coat. The first coat 
should be well brushed into the wood, which makes it 
adhere better. The object of the first coat is to secure 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 1 3 

a foundation for the following coats. The second and 
third coats are decorative, or color coats. Be 
sure to get a coat of paint in all indentations and nail 
holes, that the putty may have something to adhere to. 

About twenty-four hours after you have applied 
first coat, test it by running the fingernails over the 
surface; and if it does not scrape up under the finger 
nail, then it is ready for the second coat. But before 
second coating } t ou should putty and sandpaper the 
work. Make sure that you fill all holes, even full, for 
if you do not, they will look hollow after the work is 
finished. For this kind of work use oil putty. 

Now take the balance ot the colored lead, and if you 
wish to finish the work in flat, or without a gloss, thin 
the lead with turpentine. Or, if you wish to finish 
with an oil gloss, and not varnish, thin the lead with 
half linseed oil, (boiled oil if you are in a hurry;) and 
turpentine. Apply evenly, or flow it on the work; but 
not heavy enough to run. The paint should be thin 
enough to flow out nicely, and yet not too thin to cov- 
er well. If the color is white, or very light, it will 
take more coats than if dark. 

If you wish to varnish the wood work, or whatever 
the surface may be, then you should apply the second 
and third coats in flat color, as it varnishes much nicer. 
Should the color be dark, you can use dark varnish; 
but if light, you should varnish it with good demar 
varnish, though it is very hard to get a demar varnish 
that will dry well. Avoid the use of demar varnish if 
possible. 

It is not necessary to shellac any other wood than 



14 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

pine. The shellac is to prevent the pitch that is in the 
pine from penetrating the paint, which leaves dark spots 
on the surface and looks badly. Knots should be shel- 
laced with heavy, dark shellac, which will stop them 
out very well, always shellacing the knot after the 
priming coat is on. If shellaced before, and on the 
bare wood, in time it will scale off, taking with it the 
paint. The general idea is to shellac them the first 
thing; but that is a mistake. 

If you desire to kill the knot, so it will not show 
through, follow these directions: A mixture of glue 
size and red lead; or shellac dissolved in alcohol and 
mixed with red lead; or gutta percha dissolved in ether. 
Either of the foregoing make a good coating for knots, 
but will not stand the sunshine, which will draw the 
pitch through the paint. The best method is to cover 
the knot with oil size, and lay a leaf of silver or tin foil 
over it. This will stand the sunshine very w 7 ell. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 1 5 



CHAPTER II. 
Painting The Exterior of Buildings. 

The priming coat — Always use Venitian red for 
the pigment, unless the building is to be painted white, 
or a very light color; in which case use French yellow 
ochre, or white lead, though would prefer the white 
lead to the ochre. 

If the small extra cost is no objection and a primer 
of great durability is required, use red lead for the pig- 
ment, using about eight pounds of the pigment to a 
gallon of oil. However the condition of the weather 
should regulate the amount of lead to be used. A small 
quantity of lamp black added to the mixture will be 
advantageous. Keep the lead well stirred up during the 
time of using it. 

The priming coat should be thin, using about 
seven pounds of Venitian red to one gallon raw linseed 
oil. You might use a little coach japan to accelerate 
the drying some. The priming should dry slow, to 
give the wood a chance to absorb as much of it as pos- 
sible; and for this reason would not advise the use of 
any japan in warm weather. 

When applying the primer, rub it thoroughly in- 
to the wood, checks, cracks and nail holes. Putty will 
not adhere well to bare wood. 



1 6 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

I do not advise the use of yellow ochre for a pig- 
ment for priming, because its affinity for the coat to fol- 
low is not very great. This is one of the causes of so 
much paint peeling off from the priming coat. 

Do not hurry over the work too fast when prim- 
ing, as usually is the case; but take a little time, and 
apply it well. This is the key to success in most any 
application of paint. 

After the priming is thoroughly dry, then all 
cracks, checks and nail holes should be well puttied, 
and all knots shellaced. 

To putty correctly, force the putty into the nail 
hole with the thumb of the left hand and shove the 
putty knife under the thumb with the right hand, cut- 
ting the putty off and leaving the hole even full. Put- 
tying up with the finger is a barbarous practice, and 
does not fill the holes well. 

Sandpapering and dusting should be done before 
puttying, as it is apt to hollow, or dish out the put- 
tied places. 

The second and third coats. — -It may be proper 
to give the beginner some idea, now, as to how much 
paint it will take to paint a building; which will show 
you how much paint you will need to procure and how 
much to mix. It is a saving of time and keeps the 
feelings in good condition, to be able to know just how 
much paint it will take to do the work. 

First, find the number of square feet surface in the 
building, including cornice, gable ends, etc., then add 
one fifth to this, if a plain house; and, if there is con- 
siderable fancy work, such as brackets, grill-work, etc., 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 1 7 

add one sixth, for edges of siding, frames, corner strips 
and many things which would take too much time to 
measure. Now divide the number of square feet sur- 
face in the building by 250, the number of square feet 
one gallon of paint will cover, (two coats) of new work; 
or, old work, if not in too bad condition. This will 
give the number gallons of mixed paint. 
(example) 

Front of house 20 feet wide 

Rear of house 20 feet wide 

Side of house 40 feet long 

Side of house 40 feet long 



120 
Multiply by average height 21 



120 
240 



2520 sq ft. 
Five per cent added 1 26 



Divide by 250)2646(10 



146 



250 250 



146 
to and 146-250 gallons mixed paint, (two coats.) 

Now, I believe, we are ready to mix the paint for 
first coat; or, for that matter, both second and third; 
though would advise you to mix second and third coats 
separately. Twenty five pounds of lead will make, on 
an average, three and one half gallons mixed paint. 

Provide yourself with a tub, half barrel, or some- 
thing large enough to mix sufficient quantity to second 



1 8 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

coat the building; one vessel for the body color, and 
one for the trimming color. If you will carefully follow 
the directions given below, you will be able to mix a 
paint as good as can be procured, no matter who would 
make it. 

First thing of all, buy the best, pure white lead, 
from a reliable house, and the very best linseed oil; for 
the best is poor enough. (On another page is given a 
test for linseed oil. ) 

Now put the required amount of lead in each mix- 
ing tub, with a little oil to soften it enough tliat it can 
be stirred with a paddle; but it must be quite stiff. Add 
to the lead one tenth zinc. If the paint is to.be color- 
ed now is the time to add the coloring while the pigments 
are stiff . Make it any desired color; and after it has 
been thoroughly mixed, then add the drier. The time 
of year will suggest the amount to be used, cold damp 
weather requiring more. However do not use too 
much at any time; for too much oxigen is not good for 
the oil. This all being done, you are now ready to put 
in the oil, which should be half boiled and half raw lin- 
seed oil. But if the weather is cold, would not use 
quite so much raw oil, and more boiled. Ordinarily 
this mixture will stand one and a half gallons oil, to 
twent}- five pound of lead ; yet there is no rule to govern 
the amount of oil to be used in the thinning of any paint, 
for several reasons: First, the density of the pigments 
is not always the same; the condition of the surface, 
and the state of the weather are not always alike .The 
presence of all or any one of these conditions would 
change the amount of oil to be used. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 1 9 

The paint, when ready for use, should be heavy 
enough to make a nice coat; but should have oil in 
sufficient quantity to bind the pigment to the priming 
coat. You will be more certain of getting a good job 
by having the paint a little thin than too heavy. It is 
all right to allow some of the oil of second coat to dry 
in the wood, which fixes the second coat to the prim- 
ing; but the oil of the third coat should dry on the sur- 
face, thus giving it much more gloss, and keeping 
more oil in the pigment, and increasing the wearing 
qualities. 

These coats should be applied as evenly and 
smoothly as possible, always remembering to brush the 
paint on well. 

Paint mixed in this way, and carefully applied, 
will not crack, peel or chalk off, and will do credit to 
the painter and give satisfaction to the person owning 
the building. 



20 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER III. 

Natural Wood Finish for Interior of Buildings 

and Furniture. 

The carpenter should leave his work smooth and 
clean. It should be filled soon after, to prevent the 
grain of the wood from raising. 

One of the best wood fillers, that needs only to be 
rubbed with the grain, (but would advise that it should 
be rubbed across the grain, for think it fills the grain a 
little better.) This will not shrink; it gets as hard as 
the wood, and can be varnished soon after filling: 

Mix equal parts of coach japan, turpentine and 
boiled linseed oil; then stir in plaster of paris and pul- 
verized whiting, until it becomes a thin paste; rub this 
on the wood (with the grain) with an old brush. Rub 
into the grain of the wood well; first across the grain, 
then with the grain, using shavings or excelsior. Af- 
ter this, wipe off all surplus filler with a rag, making 
sure to get all the filler out of beads, etc. This must 
be done before the filler gets set too much. 

After the filler has dried, then sandpaper with the 
grain of the wood, with number one-half sand- 
paper, as the work may require. The friction of the 
paper hardens the filler immediately. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 21 

Again, I have stirred plaster of paris into tui pen- 
tine; and then put in just sufficient linseed oil to keep 
it from setting too quickly. However this is not so 
good as the former; as it will raise the grain of the 
wood. This should be used for cheap work, only. 

You should color the filler for walnut wood with 
burnt umber; and for antique finish on oak, etc., color 
with raw umber. 

After the filling is done, then you should putty all 
places that need it; and be very careful not to smear 
the putty all over the surface, which will make the 
work look dirty and nasty; but put the putty right to 
the place needed. The putty should be colored to 
match the wood as nearly as possible. 

The work filled, puttied and sandpapered, the next 
step is to varnish it. You should procure a good in- 
terior varnish. I prefer rubbing varnish to any oth- 
er finish. 

Before varnishing walnut, if you wish to bring out 
the richest color of the wood give it a light coat of boiled 
linseed oil. After this is dry proceed with the varnish- 
ing; though remember the use of linseed oil will dark- 
en any wood in time. So if you wish to preserve the 
wood in its natural color, use as little linseed oil as pos- 
sible. 

The varnish pot must be clean; also the varnish 
brush. Both should be free from any dirt or sediment 
whatever. The work must be thoroughly dusted off, 
and the room perfectly clean, or as nearly so as possible. 
Remember, the more careful you are in these things, 
the better the finish when complete. 



22 . THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

Cheap work can be finished with one coat of vara 
ish; but for first class work it will require two or three 
coats. If you have, made a good job of filling the grain 
of the wood, two coats will do as well as three. What 
is desired in a finish is to have the grain of the wood 
filled up even with the highest parts, thereby making 
a level surface; and to ho'd the varnish up so that the 
entire surface looks like glass, perfectly level and 
smooth. So if this can be done with two coats, all the 
better for the work, and a saving of time and material. 
Do not spoil the work, however, just to save one coat 
of varnish. All directions given in this book are for 
the attainment of the very best work. If you can do 
the best work, you will soon learn to do it in a cheaper 
manner, if necessary. 

After the first coat of varnish is on, and is dry and 
hard; which will take from twenty- four to thirty -six 
hours; (and some varnish longer than this,) it should 
be sandpapered with No. one-half sandpaper, or finer, 
if you should find it too course. All sandpaper does 
not run alike. Be most particular regarding the sand- 
papering, for this is what levels the surface. 

Dust off the work very completely, making sure 
to get all the dust out of the beads, corners, etc. Now 
it is ready for the second coat of varnish, which must 
be applied very carefully, giving it a good heavy coat; 
but be very sure to have no runs or sags, which will 
leave their mark always. Would advise the amateur 
not to use too much varnish in the beginning, but as 
you have had some practice, you will gain confidence 
in yourself, and can use more. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 23 

In the description of how to varnish a carriage 
body, you will learn how to apply the varnish, how to 
take care of the brush, and what kind of brushes to use. 

If you desire a dead gloss, or dull finish, it can be 
obtained by rubbing the last coat of varnish with pul- 
verized pumice stone and raw linseed oil; rubbing the 
surface until all specks are removed and the surface 
looks quite dull, (this rubbing process must not be done 
until the varnish is thoroughly dried; and will state 
here that each coat of varnish, except the last, must 
be sandpapered before the next is put on. ) If the work 
in hand is a small piece of furniture, or other small 
work, you can rub the entire piece before wiping it off; 
but if the wood work of a room, do not rub more than 
a door or window; then wipe the pumice stone and oil 
off with a soft rag, or soft cotton watte. Be sure to 
wipe surface clean and dry. Use a pad of plush, or a 
piece of heavy felt, out of an old hat; or you can buy a 
piece of rubbing felt at a paint store. 

If you would prefer to have it highly polished, 
then re-rub the surface with rotten stone and linseed 
oil, after you have wiped the pumice stone and oil off. 
Rotten stone cuts slowly; but it is not so much in the 
cutting as in the polish, though to be sure it is to take 
out all scratches which the pumice stone has made. 
When through rubbing with the rotten stone, wipe it 
off with the very softest rag you can procure. Cheese 
cloth is a very good thing. Now if you desire to 
make the surface still nicer, take Turney's Piano Pol- 
ish, after the rotten stone is wiped off, and go over the 
entire surface according to directions given on bottle, 



24 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

and wipe this off with cheese cloth. This will remove 
the smoky and greasy appearence left after polishing 
with the rotten stone, giving it the most beautiful fin- 
ish and that brilliant appearance so long wished for. 

Close grained wood, such as pine, poplar etc.. should 
not be filled with oil filler as mentioned in the fore part 
of this chapter. The grain in such woods being very 
close together, will not take up any of the filler, and 
would make it look muddy. Such woods should only 
be shellaced with white shellac cut with alcohol, or 
white oil shellac; oil shellac being preferred in some 
cases, as it does not dry quite so fast. 

How to make oil shellac. — Melt the shellac in 
an iron pot, and then mix in the oil by thoroughly stir- 
ring it. This will not dry as quickly as shellac cut 
with alcohol. 

Out side doors and exterior natural wood finish 
is finished in the same manner as interior finish, except 
that you must use an exterior varnish. 

Varnish made for iuside use will not stand on out- 
side work. Outside varnish gives away very quickly, 
therefore you should make sure of the very best. 

Natural woods, exposed to the weather, should be 
finished once a year, though a good deal depends on the 
exposure. If the finish is left go until the wood be- 
comes weather-beaten, it makes it unfit to finish again, 
as the surface of the wood is ruined. 



THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 25 



CHAPTER IV. 

Staining Natural Wood to Imitate Walnut, Cheiv 

ry or Rose Wood. 

for staining walnut. — Take burnt umber and 
mix with boiled linseed oil to make it transparent, and 
turpentine to cut it; about two-thirds oil and one-third 
turpentine, and a little coach japan to dry it. All stains 
must be quite thin or the color will be too dense, and 
would cover up the grain of the wood. 

Elm, white pine and poplar make good woods for 
walnut staining, though you can stain over most any 
wood; but the above mentioned will make the best im- 
itation. 

If you desire to make an extra good imitation of 
walnut, apply two thin coats of staining color. 

Apply with a brush, with but a small quantity of 
the stain in the brush; and if you should get too much 
on the wood, take an old piece of muslin and wipe off 
the surplus; or wipe it off until it becomes as light as 
you think it should be to resemble the natural walnut. 

Cherry stain. — Use burnt sienna with a little as- 
phaltum to subdue the red cast of the sienna. Mix in 
the same manner and apply it the same as the walnut 
stain; only it should be thinner. 



26 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

Rose wood stain. — Use pure burnt sienna and 
mix the same as the walnut stain. Have a little of the 
pure sienna, and a little asphaltum in small cups; and 
with a small brush, (such as a half-inch fresco liner, or 
something of that kind,) run small streaks in with the 
grain of the wood, such as you will see in rose wood; 
and then with the larger brush run over the streaks 
lightly to blend them out nicely. Be careful not to 
cover up the grain of the wood too much. Running 
these streaks in over the staining is called over-grain- 
ing. 

After this staining is dry, which will take about 
ten hours, run over it with cocabola. If a deep rich 
shade is desired, give the work two coats of the coca- 
bola. 

The best wood for staining over for rose wood is 
birch, or second growth poplar. 

After staining, let the work stand for eight or ten 
hours; then proceed to shellac and varnish; and finish 
according to the directions given for varnishing natur- 
al wood. 

Extreme care should be used in sandpapering after 
the staining is shellaced; for should you rub through 
the staining to the bare wood, it would have to be touch- 
ed up with some stain, which is sure to make spotted 
looking work. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR, 27 



CHAPTER V. 

Painting Plastered Walls in Oil and Distemper 

Colors. 

Preparing the walls, or giving the first coat.— - 
Some painters and decorators give the walls a coat of 
glue size to close the pores, or stop the suction of the 
plaster; though this is not a very good thing to do, for 
the reason that, should the walls sweat, which they 
very often do, it would soften the glue size, and destroy 
the foundation; and there could be but one result 
— the paint must fall off. 

You will veiy frequently find damp walls, and 
more especially in brick buildings; and in such places 
it is very hard to get the glue to dry properly; and if 
you should succeed in doing so, it would stand but a 
short time. 

A few remarks regarding damp walls may not be 
out of place here: 

Dissolve half a pound of alum in a gallon of water; 
then put in half a pint of raw linseed oil. The oil will 
prevent the cracking, and you can either paint, calci- 
mine or paper over it. 

Damp walls again. A splendid remedy: "Mix 
English Portland cement with water to the consistency 



28 THE PAINTERS* EDUCATOR. 

of cream; give the walls (either brick or stone) a thick 
coat, stirring the cement all the time while using it; 
and only mix half a gallon at a time, and work quick, 
This looks at first a failure, as it can easilv be brushed 
off, but after standing twenty four hours, it becomes 
thoroughly hard. This is used best on damp days. 
Two coats better than one. This is used only when 
you wish to paint outside, damp brick or stone walls." 

To Dry damp walls, and make them fit for paper- 
ing. — Get some sulphuric acid, and with an old paint 
brush wash over the damp places. This is a certain 
preventative tor damp walls. 

Cooling plastered WALLS^Dissolve half-pound 
white glue in hot water to the consistency of jelly; 
and stain it with a little dry drop black. Then mix 
half pound of plaster of paris with the glue. Apply 
one coat of this, after which go over the work again 
with a solution of equal parts of alum, brown soap and 
glue, mixed to the proper consistency. If you wish, 
you can mix boiled linseed oil; but if oil is used the 
work must stand for a day or so. You will find this to 
surpass all preparations you have tried. 

Glue size is much cheaper than linseed oil; but 
suppose it is, what does it amount to? It will not justi- 
fy you to use it; ior should you use it, in a short time 
the job may burst up and cause you endless trouble; 
and, perhaps, your reputation, for just a few stingy 
pennies. 

To prepare one of the best size for a plastered wall 
is very simple. — To one gallon of boiled linseed oil 
add one fourth pint coach Japan, This will dry the 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 20. 

oil in a short time, allowing enough of the oil to pene- 
trate the plastering, and thus putting the walls in good 
condition to receive the after coats. This sizing can be 
applied with a flat, wall brush; and care must be ex- 
erted not to use the size too extravagantly; for what 
oil the plaster will not absorb, will have to dry on the 
surface; and if too much is used, it will sag and run 
down the wall, leaving the wall in a bad shape. 

The object of this oil size is to have as much dried 
on the surface as possible; and to do this it must be 
dried quickly, which will produce a gloss over the en- 
tire surface, thereby closing the pores of the plaster, 
and putting it in shape for the first coat of paint; 
though, if the entire surface should not be glossy, it 
will make no material difference. This size should 
stand twenty four hours under good drying conditions 
before applying the first coat of paint; or, in other 
words, it must be dry and hard before proceeding with 
the work. Note. — An addition of a small quantity of 
white lead, (tinted with a little yellow ochre), to the 
size, will greatly improve it, as it will act as a filler. 

All holes, such as nail holes, or larger ones, should 
be filled with plaster of paris before sizing the walls. 

Mixing and Applying Second Coat op Paint 
to Walls — Puttying Cracks etc. — Making Wall 
Putty. — This putty is called quick drying putty, and 
is made of equal parts of pulverized Whiting, (lump 
whiting will do) and plaster of paris, mixed to a soft 
putty, with equal parts of quick drying rubbing varn- 
ish and coach Japan. Mix on a sheet of tin f marble slab, 
or a large board. Place the whiting and plaster of 



3o the; painters' educator. 

paris on the marble, tin or board (which ever is the 
most convenient) and make a hole in the center of the 
whiting and plaster of paris. In this hole pour the 
varnish and japan, enough to make it all into a stiff 
putty; then with a putty knife, mix all together; and 
after well mixed, take a hammer and pound it to make 
it smooth. Now, the putty being made, put it in a 
pint cup, or other vessel, and cover it with water to 
keep it from drying out, 

Now, the sizing dry, and the putty made, you are 
ready to do the puttying of all cracks and small holes. 
Provide yourself with a piece of glass, three inches 
square, and a small cup of turpentine. Fof the larger 
holes, etc., use the putty as made; but for the small 
cracks and checks the putty must be thined some. By 
putting some of it on the glass, and by dipping the 
putty knife in the turpentine, and working the putty 
with the knife, and repeating this opperation until the 
putty is thin enough it will go in the cracks easily Now 
take a small portion of this putty on the knife, and run 
along over the crack, pressing the putty in as you do 
so, making sure the crack is filled. Put the putty 
fight in the crack, or hole, and scrape off all putty left 
on the out side of the crack before the putty gets dry. 
Don't fotget this. 

This putty dries very fast and can be painted over 
as soon as the work of puttying is completed, 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 3 1 



CHAPTER VI. 
The Finishing of Walls in Oil Finish. 

In the oil finish, the second and third coats must be 
mixed the same color; and, for this reason, there shoud 
be enough paint mixed for second and third coats. 
Should the second and third coats fail to cover and 
make a nice even color on the walls, a fourth coat 
should be applied. 

Having decided on the color of the walls, and the 
quantity of paint required, we will proceed to mix it. 

Use white lead, of good quality, and into the lead 
add the required colors, ground in japan, to make the 
color desired; always stirring the color into the lead 
while it is quite thick, to make sure that all particles 
of color are well broken up. If this is not done they 
will rub out when coating the walls, making great 
streaks, which are difficult and tedious to remove. 

Now, the lead colored the desired shade, the pig- 
ment is ready to be thinned. 

As formerly stated, there can be no precise rule 
given by which to thin any paint, as the density of the 
pigment, or the strength of the color, is seldom alike. 
However, a very good proportion for this kind of work, 
is seven eighths gallon of boiled linseed oil, one eighth 
pint of coach japan and one pint of turpentine to twen- 



32 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

ty five pounds of lead. If you find this a little too 
heavy, add a little more turpentine. 

Apply this coat in the same manner you would 
any coat of paint. Make sure that the paint is evenly 
distributed. This can be done by first laying the paint 
on the walls crosswise, and then brushing it out the 
other way; always finishing by stroking up and down. 

The best brushes for coating walls with, and for 
making speed, are six inches, best quality, O K. 
Kalsomine brushes. They may seem large and awk- 
ward at first, but after you have become accostutned to 
them you will use no other. To use these brushes 
you need a large pail; and there should be a heavy wire 
run across the middle of the bucket at the top, to wipe 
off the brush when using; as this is the secret of keep- 
ing the paint from runing down the brush when work- 
ing on the ceiling, just take paint enough in the brush 
to cover one streak, a brush wide, on the ceiling. In 
this way you keep the paint out of the heel of the 
brush, and there is none to run down on the handle. 
But if any should get in the heel of the brush, wipe it 
out by wiping the brush across the wire in the bucket, 

Give the walls as many coats as they may require, 
two or three, besides ths sizing. 

You will get some idea how to treat the room in 
the following pages, as regarding some decorations. 
If you desire to use thestippler on this finish, you will 
find directions in the following chapter. 

Walls and ceilings finished in oil finish, are not 
intended for fine rooms, Such finish is mostly used in 
kitchens, bath rooms, basements, and for cheap finish 



THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 33 

in offices. 

Hoping the foregoing remarks are plain and ex- 
plicit, we will now take up the subject of distemper 
color. 



34 The painters' educator. 



CHAPTER VIL 
Finishing the Walls in Distemper Colors, 

GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE WORK. 
Now we suppose you have a design, or an idea 
how you want to finish the walls and ceiling. But to 
help the beginner I will give an outline of a plain finish 
for a room, and which, if followed out, will look very 
neat. 

We are beginning now, after the wall, is prepared 
as in the pieceeding talk on oil finish, which is after 
the first coat of oil finish is on. In other words, to 
make it plain, the walls have recieved the coat of oil 
sizing as spoken of, have been puttied and had the 
first coat of oil paint after the puttying. Now we are 
ready to lay the work off with rule, chalk line and a 
piece of white chalk. 

Supposing the room to be twenty by twenty feet, 
and twelve or fifteen feet high. For a room this size 
the styling should be at least twenty inches wide. 
Therefore strike a chalk line around the ceiling twenty 
inches in from the walls. The field, or center of the 
ceiling, inside of the chalk lines, should be painted 
a rich cream color, made of white lead, yellow ochre 
and burnt sienna. The walls and styling outside of 
the chalk lines may be made an amber color, made of 



THE painters' educator. 35 

white lead yellow ochre, burnt sienna and burnt umber. 
In the field the yellow ochre is the predominating color, 
with just a touch of sienna to make it rich. Do not 
make it any darker than cream; but in the wall and 
styling there is much more ochre and sienna used and 
just a touch of umber. There should be difference 
enough in the field and wall color to be noticeable; yet 
not too much contrast. There should be contrast, and 
yet it should be harmonious. This combination, with 
antique oak finish, looks beautiful. 

The striping and stenciling may be done with 
some of the wall color, made enough darker with the 
ochre, sienna and umber to make it plain; but do not 
make it too dark. There should be a broad line, say 
one half to three quarters of an inch wide, covering 
the edges of the field and the styling colors; and there 
should be a fine line, in on the field color, four inches 
in from the broad line, one eighth of an inch wide, and 
one of same width on wall, twenty inches down from 
ceiling. The border should be stenciled above this 
line. In this idea of a combination three colors are 
required to complete the design. 

The first thing to do on commencing the painting 
of a room is to erect a scaffold ; one on which you can 
paint ceiling and walls. It need not be a tight floor; 
but should have boards enough to walk around on 
conveniently. 

Mixing the distemper color. — Provide your- 
self with clean tubs and buckets, or cans enough to 
mix as many colors as are needed. 

Now mix as many colors as there are required to 



36 THE painters' educator. 

cover the large surfaces, such as the field in the ceil- 
ing and the walls. The decorating colors can be mix- 
ed when the ;vork has reached that stage. 

The coloring is applied to the lead in the same 
manner as for all mixing. When mixing colors for 
distemper painting, the coloring should be ground in 
japan, as it gives a much purer color, and the paint 
dries much flatter. If mixed with colors ground in oil, 
it has a tendency to give the work an eggshell gloss. 
Now the colors all made up, they are ready to receive 
the thinner, or vehicle, which is nothing but turpen- 
tine. Flat colors, (this is a term used for distemper 
colors,) are used some thinner than for oil paint; and 
care must be exercised in the use of them — not to 
splatter and throw the distemper all over everything, 

It dries very quickly and can not be worked in a 
room where there is a draught passing through. 

The same kind of brush can be used for applying 
distemper color as for oil paint— that is, a six inch 
kalsomine brush, using the large bucket, with the wire 
through it to wipe the brush on. 

Distemper color works very easy on account of its 
thinness. This coat of flat color must be finished as 
you go; and after once on, and finished, must not 
be touched again; for, if touched with the brush, in 
order to fix up some mistake or otherwise; or, is brush- 
ed against before it is dry, it will make a glossy spot 
and look bad. Spread it on as evenly as possible, 
avoiding any laps of the brush, streaks, etc. Be sure to 
keep edge of the distemper moist all the time while coat- 
ing across the ceiling or walls. If the edge is allowed 



the painters' educator. 37 

to set before getting back again to run another brush- 
ful on, it will make a streak; and will also be glossy. 
Two coats of flat color are plenty, and if care is taken 
the walls will look perfect. 

Stippling the walls. — Stippling the walls im- 
proves them in small rooms where the work comes in 
close contact with the eye; however it is not necessary. 
The use of the stippler is to take out brush marks, and 
to give the surface a rough finish. The brush is as 
follows: The best size for use is one three inches wide, 
eight inches long, with bristles three inches long. 
The brush is used by following closely the person 
spreading the flat color and striking the fresh paint 
with the ends of the bristles, thus taking out all brush 
marks and making a very nice rough surface. This 
brush must be used only when the paint is just put on. 
After the stippling is finished the brush must be wash- 
ed out perfectly clean and laid away to dry, being care- 
ful that the hairs do not spraddle out. A good plan 
is to have a box to just fit the brush, in which to keep 
it. 

Now the work is ready for striping and stenciling. 



38 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
How to Do the Striping. 

Provide yourself with a straightedge made of 
white pine, four feet long, three inches wide and three 
sixteenths of an inch thick, with one edge beveled three- 
eights of an inch bnek from the edge, and leaving the 
edge one-sixteenth of an inch thick. This will make 
quite a limber straightedge, which is necessary for this 
kind of work, as it will need to bend easily to fit the 
uneven places in the ceiling. Now get a fresco liner, 
a No. i, or say one inch wide, oval, (all brush makers 
do not number the same,) and a No. 14, flat fresco 
liner, one inch wide. This bru-h is made one inch 
wide, and about three-sixteenths of an inch thick, 
with the hair set in the end of the handle slanting and 
one-half inch long. If care is used you can run a fine 
line perfectly straight and with respective symmetry. 

Make up the striping color as stated in the fore- 
going outline, making it a little darker or lighter 
than the walls, just as your taste may dictate. Strip- 
ing color must be thinner than ordinary paints so it 
will spread out easy under the brush. 

Now you have the tools and color ready, you are 
prepared to commence the striping. The first line we 
will run will be the the broad line, which w r e w T ill make 



the painters' educator. 39 

three-quarters of an inch wide. Place the straight- 
edge on the ceiling, on the out side of the field line, 
with the beveled edge next to where the field color 
and the styling color come together; just far enough 
away to allow the line, when run on, to cover up the 
edges of the field and styling colors. (You will see at 
once by this that it will be necessary when coating the 
field of the ceiling and the styling to cut the edge of 
each color quite straight with the chalk line, so the 
broad line can cover both edges) Hold the straightedge 
firmly to the ceiling, not allowing it to slip or turn 
while running the colors on. Now, while the straight- 
edge is in this position, dip the No. 1, fresco liner in 
the color and then place it with flat side to the straight- 
edge, and press just hard en nigh to flatten it out to 
mike a line three quarters of an rich wide; and run it 
along the entire length of the stick, repeating this oper- 
ation until you have gone around the entire panel; 
being careful where you join on each time you change 
the straightedge to have the line of uniform width 
throughout. With this broad line run in, we are 
ready for the fine line This line should be run in on 
the field color, at a distance far euough from the broad 
line to relieve it; say three or four inches. This line 
should not be wider than one fourth inch, and would 
look better if only one-eighth of an inch wide. With 
practice you can make a very fine line with one of 
these flat, fine liners. The fine line is made in just 
the same manner as the broad one, only you use the 
flat inch brush, previously spoken of, instead ot the 
oval inch fresco liner. You place it, charged with 



40 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

color, flat side to beveled edge of straight-edge, little 
slanting from you and run it along the entire length 




"showing position of brush. 
of stick, just fast enough to allow the color to flow 
from the brush. The width of the stripe depends up- 
on just how hard you bare on the brush. The straight- 



The painters* educator. 41 

edge must be wiped off occasionally to prevent daub- 
ing the work. 

When striping the walls more care must be taken 
as there is danger of the color running down behind 
the straight-edge and having the stripe ragged on the 
lower edge. A little care will obviate this. 

If you want a broad line, one wider than the liner 
will make, just run two parallel lines, allowing them 
to touch all the way. In this way you can make lines 
of any desired width. 



42 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER IX. 
Stenciling, or Decorating. 

Stenciling is flat ornamentation, and can be treat- 
ed in a variety of ways. An ornament cm be made in 
plain, straight stenciling, with but one stencil, or can 
be made with several different stencils of different 
parts of the ornament, with plain and blended colors, 
making the whole very elaborate and attractive. 

The first thing required is the stencil. Thc-e can 
be bought, if you can not make them; but I would ad- 
vise that you make them if you can possibly do so. 
You should endeavor to be original in all your work. 
Self-reliance and originality are among the greatest 
attainments. 

If you wish to make your own stencils, draft them 
on good, heavy drafting paper, leaving plenty of bars, 
or ties, in the pattern to hold it together well. Have 
a glass fourteen inches square, or such a matter, and 
place the pattern on the glass. With a sharp-pointed 
knife proceed to cut out the stencil. By cutting it on 
glass, both sides of the stencil will be smooth, and 
either side can be used. Prepare all the stencils need- 
ed for the work, then you are ready to decorate the 
room in flat ornamentation. 

If you wish to decorate the ceiling with corner 



THE PAINTERS* EDUCATOR. 43 

pieces, make a stencil of the proper size to suit the 
panel, and with thumb tacks fasten it in positon in the 
corner of the panel. Mix the colors you wish to use 
on* the design*, using one, t*vo or three colors if you 
can, and wish to. 

If the stencil is large, you can use a large brush 
for putting on the color, say a number six naught, 
round paint brush; one somewhat worn is better,. 
Never use the round stubby stencil brushes which are 
for sale. The size and character of the stencil will 
suggesf the size of brushes required. You should 
have a brush for each color you intend using on the 
pattern. If there are rosettes in the design, make the 
center of them a dark color, and the out edge the 
lighter color; being careful not to use too much of the 
dark; for when blending the two colors together, the 
dark will cover too much of the rosette. This work 
must be done quickly and decided in the motion, for 
the blending must be done while both colors are wet. 
After both colors are on the rosette take the dark- 
colored brush, nicely wiped out, and in a circular 
motion, and at the junction of the light and dark colors, 
rub the brush over the stencil, which will blend the 
colors together nicely and give a pleasing effect. This 
is the principle employed in blending two shades to- 
gether whether on straight or circular work. If there 
are leaves, vines or the like in the pattern, they can be 
blended in the same way, using the colors to the best 
advantage to suit the character of the leaf. Care 
should be taken not to wipe the brush against any of 
the edges of the pattern, which is most likely to f uii 



44 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

some of the paint under the paper, and blot, or spot 
the work. '' Be sure to have the paint evenly dis- 
tributed through the brush, which can be done by hav- 
ing a board to rub the brush on after dipping it in the 
paint. 

Coat in all the corners in the same way; and if 
you wish to put a center piece in the panel, just sten- 
cil the corner pattern four times, p;acing the corner of 
the pattern to the center and at right angles with each 
other. After coating in all four of them, connect them 
together with any lines that may suggest themselves 
that may be utilized in this manner. Now connect the 
corners with each other by running a line along the 
side of the panel at an equal distance from the broad 
line at the edge of the panel. The breaks, or ties, 
which were left to hold the pattern together, may now 
be painted in, if you desire, which will make the pat- 
tern look as though it had been executed by hand. 
They can be painted in with a small fresco liner, or an 
artist's brush, using the same color the ornament had 
been stenciled with. When the ceiling is finished, 
choose some appropriate design for a border and sten- 
cil the same on the wall fifteen to twenty inches from 
the ceiling, the highth of the room regulating the 
width of the border. 

As you advance by practice you will become more 
familiar with the ways of doing the work, and can finish 
it more elaborately. 

In the latter part of this subject you will find a few 
combinations for ceilings and walls. Do not get dis- 
couraged with the work at first attempt. "If at first 



the painters' educator. 45 

you don't succeed, try, try again." Always remem- 
bering that "there is no excellence without great 
labor." 

The washing of the stencil is very simple. 
Place it on a board and dip a painter's old duster in 
some turpentine and rub it over the surface of the 
stencil, repeating until the paper is free from the 
paint; then wipe it off dry With a cloth, when it is 
ready to be laid away. If you are careful with the sten- 
cil it may be used several different times. Should any 
of the bars holding the pattern together become broken 
they can be repaired with a piece of heavy court' 
plaster. 



46 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER X. 

Washing Walls Painted With Distemper 

Colors, or Finished With Paint Mixed 

in Oil. 

Walls and ceilings finished in oil or distemper 
colors, can be washed and made to look as good as new, 
provided they have not been neglected and left stand 
too long before washing. Should they become so very 
dirty it would be almost impossible to wash them; and 
should you wash them under such circumstances they 
would not look very well after the work was finished; 
for the reason that the washing solution would have to 
be very strong, and the surface of the paint rubbed so 
hard that there would be very much danger of destroy- 
ing the colors, making them look much lighter and 
spotted in many places. In all instances you should 
advise the washing and cleaning of rooms before they 
have become too smoky, dusty and greasy. It will be 
money to the owner of such rooms in the saving of 
time in doing the work, preserving and lengthening 
the life of the paint, thereby making it possible that 
the walls be washed many times and yet look as good 
as new. And by so doing you save trouble for your- 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 47 

self, as the work is much easier done, looks much bet- 
ter, doing credit to yourself with such results. 

To WASH THE WALLS AND CEILING. — Have two 
buckets that will hold, say two gallons of water, (how- 
ever, nothing particular about the amount of clear 
water.) Fill them two-thirds full of soft water. Use 
one for the washing fluid and the other to wash off the 
walls after the washing solution is put on. 

To MAKE THE SATURATED SOLUTION.— Put five 
pounds of salsoda into a bucket large enough to 
contain it, and one quart of soft water. Set this 
on a stove and heat it until the soda is dissolved; 
then it is ready for use. Put a half pint of this satur- 
ated solution into the bucket containing the water, 
which will make it feel quite slippery to the fingers. 
There can be no set rule for making the washing fluid, 
as the walls may require a weak or a strong mixture 
to clean them. You will have to put a little in at a 
time and try it in order to ascertain the correct amount. 
But you must be very particular to remember the ex- 
act amount of the saturated solution put in the clear 
water, and the amount of clear water in the bucket. 
This will enable 5^011 to make each bucket of the fluid 
of the same strength. 

EXAMPLE : 
Saturated Solution — 5 lbs. Salsoda. 

1 quart Soft Water. 
Washing Fluid— 15 lbs. Soft Water. 

1 pint Saturated Solution. 

This followed out, using the required amount each 



48 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

time the water is changed, will insure an even-looking 
job when through. If the walls are very dirty they 
will require more of the soda; and if not in bad con- 
dition, less soda. Be careful not to use any more of 
the soda than is needed; for if the water is charged 
with more of the soda than is required, it will take the 
paint off. 

One man can do this kind of work; but it is much 
better if there are two. One man can take a sheep's 
wool sponge of a convenient size, with the washing 
fluid, and go over a space from four to six feet square, 
nibbing until the dirt is all loose; then the other man, 
with a sponge of same description, can take the clear 
soft water and go over this surface and wash off all 
the loose dirt and the soda; and if the strength of the 
fluid is just right, the washing has been done with care, 
and you have cleaned it thoroughly with the clean 
water, you will be highly pleased to find the work look 
just like new. 

Do not let the soda water, or any of the clear 
water, run down over any of the unwashed walls; nor 
get them wet in any way until you are ready to wash 
them. Each place you touch, or let the water run 
down over the unwashed walls, will make a spot; and 
you will have trouble to get it out, if you should suc- 
ceed in removing it at all. Change the water as often 
as needed. 

In washing varnished work the water must 
not be charged with quite so much of the soda, as it 
kills the varnish, or turns it white. You can soon tell 
if it is too strong, for you can shortly smell the varnish. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 49 



CHAPTER XL 

How to Grain in Oi! Color, 

First, if it is new work to be grained, it must re- 
ceive three coats of paint; the surface must be smooth 
and even. The color of the background for oak 
graining should be made with white lead, yellow 
ochre, burnt sienna and burnt umber, approximately 
as follows: 

White Lead 25 pounds. 

Yellow Ochre % 

Burnt Sienna / 8 

Umber 1-16 

Boiled Linseed Oil % gallon. 

Turpentine % " 

Coach Japan }{ pint. 

As a rule the grounding color for graining antique 
oak is too light in color. The white should be colored 
with the ochre until it is considerably darker than a 
cream color, then the sienna is added, enough to give 
it the terra-cota, or dull pink cast. Now add the um- 
ber to throw it in line for the color of the light parts 
of the oak. Herewith is a sample of the color the 
background should be for antique oak graining: 



50 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 




GROUNDING COEOR. 

Two coats of ground color over old work which 
has been painted before, will be sufficient. Sandpaper 
the work well before first coating. 

Putty and sandpaper after the first coat; then 
second coat, and let stand until thoroughly dry — then 
the work is ready for graining. 

Mixing the graining color for oak. — Take 
raw umber ground in oil, as much as you think will 
do the graining. One-half pound will make one- 
third ot a gallon of graining color ready for use. 
Thin with two-fifths each, boiled linseed oil and tur- 
pentine, and one-fifth good japan drier. Make it 
thin — about the same consistency as for staining. 
Those who are not familiar with this kind of work, 
should coat a piece of board with the ground color, 
each time when painting the room, or work; for the 
purpose of testing the consistency of the graining 
color. If you find it too heavy, thin with more tur- 
pentine. If it dries a little too quick, or is a little too 
dense in color, add a little oil in the place of the tur- 
pentine. When you are quite sure the graining color 
is ready for use, proceed with the work of graining; 
by first coating in a small portion of the work, using 
a brush somewhat worn to apply the color; such as a 
three and a half inch flat wall brush, or a six naught 
round paint brush, most completely washed in turpen- 



the painters' educator. 51 

tine or coal oil — (the latter the cheapest for this pur- 
pose) — to free it from any paint that might be in it. 
Coat the panel of a doer, and put the figure work, 
combing, &c, on it; then proceed to coat the balance 
of the door, and to finish it. In this way you can do 
the work without any of it getting too dry. Though, 
after you have become more experienced in the work, 
you can coat the whole door, and then do the figure 
work before the graining color begins to set. Always 
remember to use just as much of the graining color 
over the ground color, to produce, as near as possible, 
the exact shade of the natural wood. This will re- 
quire but a small amount of the stain. Do not dip the 
brush in the stain like you would in a white lead paint, 
but just touch the end of the brush in the stain. 

You should look for growths and figures of nice 
design in the natural wood and copy them on paper 
with a pencil, and draw them many times until you 
have them fixed in the mind, that when you go to do 
a piece of graining you will not lack for designs. 

After you have coated a panel with the graining 
color, being very particular to apply just stain enough 
to make it as near the same shade of the natural oak 
as possible, then, with a piece of old and soft muslin 
folded over two or three times to give it some body, so 
it will pick up the color as you run over the stain, to 
wipe out and make the growth. The thumb nail 
should be cut short and smooth, to avoid making too 
fine streaks when using the rag over the thumb. 
Plate the rag in the right hand and over the nail of 
the thumb. With the left hand the ends of the rag 



52 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



are held away from the panel, and this aho serves to 
steady and guide the right hand. 




POSITION OF RAG AND HANDS. 

Starting from the top we wipe out the figure, put- 
ting in its coarsest markings and broadest lights near- 
est the right hand edge of the panel as it would be in 
reality. From this side the figure is imitated in vary- 
ing degrees of coarseness, until its markings, grad- 
ually getting smaller and closer, are intermingled with 



THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 53 

the coarse combing ot the other side. I would attempt 
to picture the figure in its varying details, but nature 
alone should be the teacher. He who would be an 
artist in his profession, will do well to sketch his de- 
signs from the real figure as nature has designed them. 
While you are spending considerable time in the ac- 
quiring of the different figures, you should not forget 
that there are other points of importance to be mas- 
tered; such as the peculiar manner in which the fig- 
ure is wiped out. 

The beginner, in most all instances, in trying 
to imitate a real oak panel, has not studied the 
manner by which he should manipulate the rag and 
thumb. Invariably he commences by wiping, in imi- 
tated form, with either straight smooth lines, or with 
smooth circles. You should not be afraid of making 
too light markings and placing then in close proximi- 
ty with each other. You will observe that the lines 
or markings in the real figure has a some what jagged 
appearance. This is the particular feature of the work 
I wish to talk upon. You remember the fellow who 
took three steps ahead and slipped back one. Simply 
stated, this is just about what you do in graining. 
You shove the thumb foreward in a line about one 
half or three fourths of an inch, then you slip back 
some distance, repeating the operation until you have 
wiped out the whole figure. Though I do not wish you 
to understand that there should be no straight, plain 
lines. The markings shown in the illustrations on 
pages 52 and 56 will give an idea of the meaning I 
wish to express. 

In the real growth or heart figure we notice that 
it has a blazed effect; that is, it spreads from the cen- 



54 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

ter of the growth in fan design to the outer edge. This 
you can imitate by using the denticulated or disjoint- 
ed movement, diverging (not in parallel lines) as you 
work outwards; however, maintaining clean and 
neat wiping out. To more perfectly imitate this effect 
we w r ill employ the use of the blender, by placing it 
on the figure at the center of the growth and lightly 
drawing it lengthwise to the end of the panel, replac- 
ing it each time near the center and diverging toward 
the corner of the panel until the repeated operation 
will cause you to brush in a course diagonally across 
the panel. You should not place the brush at the 
center each time, for once or twice go ; ng over the figure 
will blend it out nicely. As you see the work is be- 
ing blended out, you may set the blender on a little 
farther from the center thereby avoiding the destroy- 
ing of the center of the design. 

There is a small space of the plain staining left on 
each side of a growth after it is wiped out on a lock 
rail; or, on small pieces it will occur on one edge, as 
the growth is usually made on one side of the piece. 
To make this look harmonious and pleasing to the eye, 
just crumple your rag in a bunch in the hand and 
place it on the stain at the edge of the figure just 
made. Now run along over the stain, wiping off a 
portion of the color, pressing just a little the hardest 
next to the growth and letting the rag run lightly over 
the color as it nears the edge. This will wipe the 
color off next to the growth to about the same shade 
as the growth you have just made, and will blend off 
into the darker shade at the edge. Now take the same 
brush )'0ii have used to apply the graining color and 
wipe it out well (a badger blender may be used,) if 
you so desire, but the graining brush is just as good 
free from any of the color; then brush it over the 
figure you have made on the lock rail with the grain, 
which will blend it out very nice and soft. Be careful 



THE PAINTEKS' EDUCATOR. 55 

to not rub too hard or you will destroy the figure. 
Brush both ways if the work requires. Now take a 
sheet of No. i sandpaper and place it with the sand 
side to the paint, one edge at the joint of the end of 
the lock rail and brush up and down over the edge of 
the paper. This will take out all marks which were 
run across the side rail of the door when graining the 
lock rail. You can perform this at the end of any 
grained piece where the end comes against the edge of 
another piece which makes it look like a natural wood 
joint. 

You should get a set of the best steel graining 
combs; and, if you wish to finish the work in quarter- 
sawed oak, the work should be combed out nicely with 
either the medium or coarse combs; then, with the rag 
folded over the thumb, work in the quarters as natural 
as possible. 

I hope that the above remarks will convey to the 
beginner an idea how the work is done, and that with 
practice, you will be able to turn out very good work. 
To become a good grainer is a great as well as profit- 
able accomplishment. Trusting that you understand 
this far, we will proceed with the next step, which is 
the checking of all growths; and, if you like, many 
other places; such as quarter-designed pieces and some 
of the plain pieces. This particular part of the work 
is quite simple to perform, but gives to the work, if 
well executed, a likeness to the natural wood that 
makes it hard for the connoisseur to detect. 

Checking. — This is done by taking a check- 
roller (which can be bought at a painter's supply 



56 THE painters' educator. 

house); a board twelve or fifteen inches long, and say 
six or eight inches wide, and the next day after the 
graining has been finished or is dry, take the brush 
with which you applied the graining, and with the 
graining color well stirred up, coat the board with a 
liberal amount of the color. Now run the check- 
roller over the color on the board, then lengthwise over 
the graining, 




CHECK-ROLEER. 
repeating the operation until the entire grained piece 
has little dots covering its surface (as many as look to 
be like a natural piece of oak — this you will know by 
observation.) Then wipe the brush out well and 
gently brush in the same direction that the roller had 
been run, blending the dots into little fine streaks 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 57 

about one-half inch long. Go over all the work that 
requires this, and when perfectly dry, it is ready for 
varnishing. 



58 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER XII. 
Grounds and Graining Color, 

Having tieated the subject of oak graining in its 
several different phases, I feel that a few remarks rel- 
ative to the foundation for graining and the graining 
color ma} 7 be of some benefit to the reader. 

Upon the respective quantities of linseed oil and 
turpentine used in the mixing of the grounding paint, 
depends entirely the amount of gloss we shall obtain 
for the ground color. The determination of the re- 
spective quantities to be used must, to a considerable 
extent, be left to the judgement of the grainer; as, re- 
garding such matter, it would be difficult to state a 
rule to which all authorities would agree. A popular 
proportion is: Three parts boiled linseed oil to one of 
turpentine In the judgement of others this rule is di- 
rectly reversed; while still others, of equal proficiency, 
use the two vehicles in equal proportion. The prefer- 
ment of the grainer, governed of course bj^ conditions 
and circumstances, usually determines this matter. 

The writer personally prefers the latter mixture, 
believing that the amount of gloss so obtained affords 
a better surface for the subsequent work. This mix- 
ture makes a surface of medium gloss and promotes 
the amalgamation of the graining color with the 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 59 

ground; at the same time making easy the wiping out 
of the lights of the figure. Clean and easy wiping out 
is impossible on a dead or flatting paint; and a too 
glossy surface is also unsuitable. 

I wish to mention that the color of the ground 
employed depends altogether on the wood we intend 
to imitate. For light oak the ground should be light- 
er than for antique; the colors mentioned in the pre- 
ceding chapter may be used by regulating the propor- 
tions according to the color desired. 

Before going further into this subject, let us un- 
derstand alike what is meant by the term "ground." In 
the natural order of things, this word embodies both 
surface and color, each of which is a factor of impor- 
tance with respect to the art of successful wood imita- 
tion. 

Closely related to the "ground" color is its com- 
panion, the "graining" color. Two never absent qual- 
ities should distinguish the latter, to wit: First, that 
transparency of pigment which affords the best color 
imitation of the genuine article, following its super- 
imposition; and second, freedom and ease in applica- 
tion. 

The dual character of the color effect that is most 
desirable, makes this phase of the subject difficult of 
comprehension; and yet its mastery is imperative to 
those who would attain proficiency in this particular 
branch of the art. Success in this, as well as in all 
other works of art, is contingent upon close applica- 
tion, and can only be expected to follow a considera- 
ble experience. 



60 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

In the treatment of this subject I have aimed to 
lay before the reader those features of the work which 
are deemed most vitally to effect the ultimate result , 
and in connection with the remarks already offered 
would lay especial stress upon the preparation of the 
surface, which it can not be too emphatically insisted, 
must be smooth, even and free from all brush mark- 
ings. 

The young man contemplating the learning of 
painting, will do well to acquire a knowledge of grain- 
ing. The time is coming not far in the future, when 
the art of graining will be in demand. Oak finish 
having become so popular, and the great demand for 
the commodity, will soon place it beyond the reach of 
the majority of people. Therefore, an artist of grain- 
ing will have to supply such a want with an imita- 
tion. Then the truer to nature, your handiwork, the 
greater in demand your services will be. 



the painters' educator, 61 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Combination of Colors for Ceilings and Side 

Walls in Distemper Colors. 

In the five combinations that follow, the student 
may mix the darker or wall color first, making some 
more than will be required to paint the walls. Put this 
extra amount of wall color into another bucket and 
lighten it with white until you have matched the ceil- 
ing color of the sample specimen. For the striping 
and stenciling, make the color either a little darker or 
lighter, just as you may wish, coloring it with the 
same pigments, 

CEILING. WALL. 




AMBER COMBINATION. 

White, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna. 

CEILING. WALL. 




DRAB COMBINATION. 

White, Yellow Ochre, Lamp Black and Light Red; 
White and Raw or Burnt Umber. 



62 



THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 
CEILING. WALL. 




TERRA-COTTA COMBINATION. 

White, Burnt Sienna, and just a touch of Burnt 

Umber. 

CEILING. WALL. 






GREEN COMBINATION. 

White, Yellow Ochre, Prussian Blue. 
CEILING. WALL. 






BLUE COMBINATION. 

White, Prussian Blue and Lamp Black. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 63 



CHAPTER XIV. 
Rules for Making Sixty ''one Different Colors. 

Brown —Take black and vermilion, three to one. 

Brown, again — Take black and Venitian red, 
one to one. 

Green — Take chrome yellow and Prussian blue, 
one to one; for lighter color, less blue. To make it a 
cooler green, add a little white. 

Purple — Take Prussian blue and carmine two 
to one. 

Crimson — Take carmine and drop black, eight to 
one. 

I,avendar — Take white, Prussian blue and En- 
glish vermilion, eight, three, one. 

Buef — Take white, yellow and raw sienna, five, 
two, one. 

Straw — Take white and yellow, one to one. 

Fire — Take yellow and vermilion, two to one. 

Gold — Take yellow and white, five to one. 

Silver — Take white and black, ten to one. 

Marble — Take white and Prussian blue, two to 
one. 

Clear white — Take white and Prussian blue, 
ten to one. 

Deep grfen — Take chrome green and Prussian 



64 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

blue, three to one. 

Light'green — Take green and chrome yellow, 
three to one. 

Flesh color — Take white, yellow and Chinese 
vermilion, fifty, six, one. 

Water, river — Take white and Prussian blue, 
six to one. 

Water, ocean — Take white, Prussian blue and 
yellow, six, two, one. 

Sky, noonday— Take white and Prussian blue, 
twenty-five to one. 

Sky, sunset — Take white, Prussian blue and 
vermilion, two, two, one. 

Deep blue — Take blue and black, three to one. 

Bronze green — Take yellow and black, one to 
one. 

Very deep green— Take yellow, blue and 
black, two, three, one. 

Bright red — Take white, vermilion and car- 
mine, one, one, one. 

Lips and cheeks — White and vermilion, one to 
one. 

White of eyes — Take white and Prussian blue, 
ten to one. 

Black hair — Take black and vermilion, two to 
one. 

Brown hair — Take black, yellow and vermilion, 
two, one, one. 

Golden hair — Take black, yellow and white, 
one, five, three. 

Auburn hair — Take black and red, one to two. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 65 

Gray hair — Take black and white, one to six. 

Blue eyes — Take blue and white, one to que. 

Gray eyes — Take black and white, one to five. 

Brown eyes — Take black and yellow, one to 
three. 

Hazel Eyes — Take black, yellow and vermilion, 
one, four, one. 

Table for mixing paints — In making the fob 
lowing named colors, mix as they come in order, the 
predominating color being first; second, next, third, 
next; and so on: 

Pearl — White, black and blue, 

French grey — White and black. 

Grey stone — White, yellow and black. 

Ljme stone — White, yellow ochie, black and red, 

Orange^ Yellow and vermilion. 

Olive — Yellow, blue, black and white. More 
white for lighter, or more black for darker. 

Chestnut — Red, black and yellow. 

Fawn — Yellow and red. 

CHOCOLATE-^Raw umber, red and black. 

Drab — White, raw and burnt umber; or, white, 
yellow ochre, red and black. 

Bronze-grEEN — Chrome green, black and yel- 
low; or, black and yellow; or, yellow, black and green. 

Pea green — White and chrome green. 

Rose — 'White, madder and crimson lake. 

Copper — -Red, yellow and black. 

Lemon — White and yellow. 

Snuff — Yellow and Vandyke brown. 

Claret — Red, burnt umber and black. 



66 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

Dove — White, vermilion, blue and yellow. 

Pink — White, vermilion and lake; or, white and 
vermilion; or, white and Indian red; or white and 
burnt sienna. 

Cream — White and orange yellow. 

Salmon — White, yellow, raw umber and red. 

Peach blossom— White, red, blue and yellow. 

Lilac — Mix white with violet. 

Changeable — Use red and green, and lighten 
with white Use more or less, to give the shades de- 
sired. 

Amber — Use white, yellow ochre and burnt si- 
enna. 

Terra cotta — White, burnt sienna and burnt 
umber. 

Mustard— White, Raw sienna and yellow. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 67 



CHAPTER XV. 
How to Paint a Carriage. 

PAINTING THE RUNNING GEAR. 

Priming. — L The wood work for the running gear 
of a carriage should be primed soon after it has been 
made. The best pigment for this purpose is dry Veni- 
tian red, mixed with raw linseed oil and turpentine, 
about 9 to 1. This primer should be quite thin, and 
well rubbed into the wood, using a bristle brush of 
medium size; say a four naught brush, somewhat 
worn. 

First coat. — After the gear has been ironed off, 
take it into the paiut shop, and thoroughly clean all 
grease and oil from it with a rag saturated with gaso- 
line or turpentine. I prefer the gasoline, as it does 
its work quickly and efficiently. The turpentine is 
very hard on the constitution of the painter, and should 
never be used to wash the hands with; nor be brought 
in contact with the body, if it can be avoided. After 
the grease is all cleaned off, take a piece of number ^ 
sandpaper. The folding of the sandpaper, to make it 
into convenient sizes may be done in this way: Take 
the sheet of paper and lay it, sand side down, now fold 
the paper twice, making three divisions of equal size, 
folding the paper the shortest way. Now, with the 



68 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

putty knife, cut it at the creases by running between 
the two pieces, after the three pieces are cut, take each 
piece and fold it over twice, which makes a piece 3x4 
inches square. Sandpaper the irons and wood work 
perfectly smooth. Be very particular as to this sand- 
papering, and also at all other times you may be called 
on to do this kind of work, in the progress of the paint- 
ing. Be most careful next to the clips,, the ends of the 
spokes, etc. If you sandpaper the hard places well, 
there will be no trouble about your getting the easy 
places; such as the middle of the spokes and the plain 
surface between the clips. After through sandpaper- 
ing, dust the gear and wheels down, getting all dust 
and sand off. 

Now we are ready to mix the first coat and to ap- 
ply it. It is mixed as follows. Take white lead and 
color it with lamp black, to a dark lead color. Thin 
this to the proper consistency with three-fourths raw 
linseed oil and one-fourth turpentine, with a little good 
coach japan to dry it. 

To apply the above paint you should use a one 
and a half inch camels' hair brush. By the use of this 
kind of a brush the paint can be laid on without any 
brush markings. It is necessary that the student ex- 
ercise the greatest care in the laying on this coat — and 
also the coats to follow. Should any brush markings 
occur in this, or the coats to follow, they will be bold 
and distinct when the work is finished. They can not 
be sanded out; so the proper thing to do is not to give 
them an existence. The more careful you are with 
these little things, the nearer you will reach perfection 



THE PAliNTERS 1 EDUCATOR. 69 

when the work is completed. Be sure to cover all 
parts with this coat, underneath as well as on top. 
Let this coat stand until thoroughly dry. Not just a 
surface dry; but through and through. There is a 
great difference in surface dried paint and being dried 
through, and hard. The be^t test to kno a t if the paint 
is hard, is to scrape the finger nail over the surface; 
and, if the paint scrapes up and under the nail, the 
work will have to stand longer. If no particles of the 
paint can be scraped up, then the work is ready to 
undergo the next .step. 

Puttying. — This is apart of the work of no small 
importance. To putty a gear correctly requires con- 
siderable tact, as the character of the finish depends 
largely on how well you have performed the work now 
in question. We will first consider the preparation of 
the putty, before going any farther. I have given a 
description of quick drying putty, in the talk on wall 
work; but such a putty will not do for carriage work. 
The putty that we wish to make is composed of good 
lump whiting, dry white lead and rubbing varnish; or, 
whiting, dry white lead and equal parts rubbing varnish 
and coach japan, made to the consistency of putty, then 
pounded with a hammer, until free from lumps or grit. 
The latter mixture is only used when you have hur- 
ried work on hand. After the putty is made, keep it 
in a cup and covered with water. 

The next step will be the application of the putty to 
the work, supposing that the second coat is now ready 
to receive it. The prime feature in puttying is to 
make out as perfect as possible; and to do this, you must 



JO THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

fill all holes, bumped and bruised places on the surface, 
the cracks between the axel and the axel bed — which 
is the wood on top of the axel — and to glaze the entire 
surface of the axel beds, the head block and spring 
bars, filling up all the pores of the wood, and glazing 
any parts of the iron that may need it. You should 
use a medium elastic putty knife for the puttying; and 
do not pile the putty up in p : les or leave any on the 
surface. Put the putty in the holes, or cracks, and 
none on the surface. When doing the glazing, put it 
on just as smoothly as possible; and if you wish, you 
can rub a piece of linen rag over the glazed piece before 
the putty dries, which will make it smooth. The stu- 
dent must keep it in mind, that a great amount of sand- 
papering will be saved if he will only be particular 
about the puttying. This putty will dry hard in from 
eight to ten hours, after which the work is ready to 
sandpaper. The sandpapering must de done with care, 
using No. o paper. You must not cut through the 
first coat of paint while doing the sandpapering; for 
this being the only coat of paint, and it being cut away 
while sandpapering, would cause the coats mixed with 
out oil to find a resting place on the bare wood, and 
would soon crack off. 

With the gear, wheels and accessories thoroughly 
papered and dusted down, we are ready for the second 
coat of paiut. 

Second coat. The first thing we will consider 
will be the mixing of the paint,, for the second and 
third coats. 

Take a sufficient amount of the stiff white lead 



THE painters' educator. 7 1 

out of the keg to make paint enough to coat the gear- 
ing twice; allowing the oil which is on top of the lead 
(in the keg) to drip off of the lead you are just taking 
out; or it should be elutriated with turpentine. 
This paint is to be a flat preparation; for the 
purpose of making an easy surface to sandpaper. For, 
the reason we do not wish any more oil in the prepar- 
ation for second and third coats than is used in grind- 
ing it, is because the oil paint clogs up the paper and 
does not paper down to a hard and even surface. If 
the lead is quite stiff, which is all the better, add a lit- 
tle turpentine, not enough to thin it, but just to soften 
a little. Now put in a sufficient quantity of dry lamp 
black to make the mixture a decided dark lead color. 
Do not be afraid of getting too dark, if you intend 
making the gearing black ; but if the gear is to be color- 
ed red, green, or some kindred color, the paint in pro- 
gress of mixing, need not be so dark. Judging the 
student grasps the importance of this color theory, we 
will return to the mixing of the paint. Now that the 
lamp black is in, we will proceed to finish. While the 
pigment is in this semi-state of consistency (consisten- 
cy mean? thickness, or density) add a half teaspoonful 
of good coach japan to a quart of the prepared paint, 
and beat, or stir it thoroughly; after which you 
can thin it with turpentine to the proper consistency for 
use, about like thin cream; or thin enough to flow out 
easily under the brush. 

This mixture should be applied with a i% inch 
camel's hair brush, thus securing an even coating and 
freedom from brush markings. This will dry fast, and 



72 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

for this reason it must be manipulated in such a man- 
ner that any part coated with it mav have the entire 
surface coated beiore the paint sets. 

Let the reader be a close observer while one prac- 
tised in the use of such paint proceeds to coat the gear. 
The first thing I will do will be to procure a board long 
enough, when set up endwise under the axel, to raise 
the wheel two or three inches off the floor. Now I 
place my cup of paint, on a four legged stool, two feet 
high, made for this purpose; and place the stool in 
front of the wheel, in a position convenient for working. 
Now I stand with my left side to the front, and at the 
rim of the wheel, with the left hand holding the rim. 
I coat the sides of two spokes, including the face; then 
with an alert motion, the wheel is turned one quarter 
way from me, and the other sides of the two spokes 
are coated. The wheel is then turned back the quar- 
ter turn to its first position. Now the brush is charg- 
ed with more of the paint; and, taking the brush in the 
left hand, while standing in the same place, I 
reach over and behind the wheel and coat the back edge 
of the two spokes. I repeat this operation until all the 
spokes are coated and then I coat the hub, front and 
back. While yet standing in the same place I 
squat down, and coat the inner edge of ihe rim between 
the spokes. Then rising to my feet, in a half erect 
position, I coat the sides of the rim. You have obser- 
ved that I have not changed my position since first 
commencing to paint the wheel. The other wheels 
are painted in the same way. I will now direct my 
attention to the gearing, which is simple enough. I 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 73 

place the paint and stool in front of the gear, to the 
right. I first coat the spring-bar, then the spring and 
head block. After this I commence at the right end 
of the axle and coat it on both sides as I advance to 
the opposite end. The rear and reach are painted in 
the same way. 

Let this second coat dry through and through, 
which will take from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. 

Now look all over the gearing, and where ever you 
find any holes not level, or the putty sunken, re-putty 
them, as well as all other places that have been overlook- 
ed during the first puttying. When this putty is dry, 
sandpaper the gear well, using No.^ paper, after which 
dust the work down, and it is ready for the third coat. 

The third coat is applied in the same manner as 
the second; and the instructions regarding the manip- 
ulating of the same will be observed for the applica- 
tion of this coating: 

This third and last coat of lead, must stand until 
the paint is dry and hard; so that when you paper it, 
it will cut down dry, and leave the surface smooth 
hard and glasslike. For the benefit of the beginner, 
I wish to impress upon his mind the importance of the 
sandpapering of this coat of paint, for herein lies the 
foundation for the finish. This part of the work, by 
many painters, is looked upon as insignificant; and 
there is where most failures are made as regarding a 
level finish. There are three very important points to 
be considered when painting a carriage. Namely: the 
first coat of lead, applied after the job has arrived in 
the paint shop. This is to make the foundation for 



74 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

durability. The second is the preparation of a smooth 
and level foundation for the final finish. And thirdly, 
the finishing, or last coat, which is the same to the 
under coats of paint as the roof is to a house. Believ- 
ing the student now understands the great importance 
of these things, we will advance another step farther; 
but before doing so, let me once more caution the be- 
ginner, to be extremely careful when sandpapering any 
of the coats of paint (except the priming coat), not to 
cut through the paint to the wood. 

Coloring. If your desire is to make the gearing 
black, take ivory drop black, ground in japan. Thin 
with turpentine to the proper consistency for use, which 
must be rather thin. To this add three or four drops 
of raw linseed oil, to give it just an eggshell gloss. 
To know when you have oil enough to produce this 
test it by placing a drop on the thumb nail, and blow 
it with the breath, when it will dry immediately there- 
by showing the amount of gloss. Use a camel's hair, 
coloring brush i]4 inch wide to apply the coloring 
and follow the instructions given for manipulating the 
second and third coats. This coloring will require from 
five to six hours to dry. Now we are ready to com- 
mence the color varnishing. 

Color varnishing. — You can buy a black var- 
nish for this purpose, but for this job let us make it. 
The student should be independent, so far as possible, 
and be able to make the greatest number of mixtures 
from the materials on hand. 

To make black varnish enough to coat the run- 
ning gear, thills, etc., take one pint of good medium 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 75 

drying, rubbing varnish, and put as much of the drop 
black (as you have had left from coloring the gear,) 
into the rubbing varnish as will make it a jet black. 
Then proceed to varnish the gear with this, observing 
the directions given for second coating. This method 
must be employed for the reason that the black varnish 
will set quickly. By following the directions laid down 
you will avoid any laps in the varnish, as it will be 
flowed on small places at a time, thereby insuring nice 
even coating. When the color varnish is dry and hard, 
you will go over the entire surface of the gearing with 
a bunch of Georgia moss. By taking it in the hand 
and rubbing the surface of the varnish until you have 
destroyed the gloss, you will help to make the surface 
smoother, and also to prevent the subsequent coat of 
varnish from "cessing" or creeping off. The gloss 
must be removed from all varnish before attempting to 
apply another coat, as there is but little affinity be- 
tween the two coats. If the gloss is allowed to remain, 
the newly applied varnish will "cess," or run off. 

I might say here, while treating on this subject, 
and for the benefit of those who do not know that, 
should the varnish "cess," or run off , after the gear 
has been mossed, you can take a small sponge saturat- 
ed with turpentine and run over the surface, and thus 
keep the varnish from creeping. Now dust the gear- 
ing down in the best manner possible. It will then be 
ready for striping, and afterward, to receive the final 
coat of varnish; or, if you desire to give the work an 
extra fine finish, you should give the gear a coat of 
clear rubbing varnish before the final finish. This you 



76 The painters' educator. 

will apply in the same way you did the color varnish. 
It will take this varnish from twenty-four to forty- 
eight hours to harden fit to pumice. 

The length of time it takes for the varnish to dry 
depends on the kind of varnish. The number of hours 
is given on the can. When the proper length of time 
has elapsed for the varnish to harden, take a piece of 
rubbing felr, wet with water, and dip in pulverized 
pumice stone. Now rub the surface of the gearing 
with the felt, first wetting it with a damp sponge (rub- 
bing a wheel at a time). Rnb all specks from the 
surface, thereby leaving it with a dead finish when 
done. Wash the pumice stone off as completely as 
possible before it has dried to any part of the surface, 
and wipe the gear off with a chamois skin wrung out 
of clean water. 

Go over one wheel at a time, finishing as you go. 

It will aNo be well to take half of the gearing at a 
time. Now after you have gone over all the gearing 
in this w 7 ay, wash the sponge and chamois skin out, 
free from all pumice stone, and with clean water and 
sponge, wash the gear all over again, to free it from 
any pumice stone that may have been left on in the 
first washing. You should use a No. 5. sash tool to 
wash out around the clips and between the spokes 
and places you cannot reach with the sponge. Do not 
be afraid to use plenty of water. After through wash- 
ing, if you are sure you have all the pumice stone re- 
moved, you may wring the chamois skin out and wipe 
the work dry. Now the work is ready for striping, if 
you desire to do so. If not you can prepare for the 



the painters' educator. 77 

finishing coat. 

Finishing coat. — Buy the best elastic gear-var- 
nish on the market, the best is none to good. Use 
about one quart to varnish the gearing. 

Now reader, if you will follow me for a while, I 
think you will understand the manipulating of the 
finishing. We will go to the varnish room and ?vveep 
it out perfectly clean allowing a draught to pass through 
the room while doing so to take the dust out. After 
the sweeping is done we will take a duster and dust 
down the walls, and any places that the dust could 
have lodged; leaving the doors and windows to remain 
open until all the dust has been wafted from the room. 
Now we will take a bucket of water and sprinkle the 
room down; using a sponge for this purpose, sprink- 
ling the floor, and any place the dust is likely to be; 
but will not make it too wet We now close the win- 
dows and door, and while the room is drying out a 
little, we will spend some time in getting the gear ready 
to take into the varnish room. This will be to dust 
the gear down, by commencing with the wheels, dust- 
ing one at a time, until they are free from dust. Then 
we will dust the spring bars, springs, axles, etc. This 
being completed, we will run it into the varnish room 
at once. We will take a two inch flat varnish brush, 
kept for this purpose, and then we will put about two 
drops of varnish on the palm of the hand and rub the 
ends of the bristles of the brush in it to make the bris- 
tles just a little sticky. Do not use more than two or 
three drops of varnish for this purpose; or you will get 
too much on the brush, which will spoil it, and might 



78 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

distribute little particles of the varnish on the work, 
thereby making the surface rough. With the brush 
prepared thus, we will go all over the entire gear, 
brushing the surface just lightly with the ends of the 
bristles, with a leisurely movement to give the varnish 
time to pick up any little particles of dust there may 
be left on the surface. When we have finished this 
we are ready to do the varnishing. 

The varnishing. — We will first consider the 
brush: There are many different kinds that can be 
used for this purpose. The brush preferred by the 
writer is a flat chiselkd varnish brush; brass bound; 
Extra Select, Black Chinese Bristles, Cement Set, and 
short round stocky handle. Double thick, one inch 
and a half wide, or two inches if you prefer. The 
brush, if a new one, we will wash out in a clean cup 
with some turpentine, to remove all dust and grit. 
New brushes are much preferred after they have been 
in use a few times. The taking care of the brush we 
will consider a little farther on. 

A leaded bottom varnish cup, quart size, is a very 
convenient article. This cup will stand on its own 
base, saving the student the trouble of taking hold of 
the cup each time you wipe the varnish out of the 
brush. I believe you can see the utility of a cup of 
this description. 

The varnish requisite for such a finish is one which 
will combine brilliancy and durability. 

Now, student, just watch the method and move- 
ments of the finisher, while he is applying the finish- 
ing coat. We now take up the work where we left off, 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 79 

that is, the gear is in the varnish room and has receiv- 
ed the final dusting off, as described in our talk just a 
moment ago. I fill the varnish cup about two thirds 
full of the gear vamish, then I place the cup on the 
paint stool. 

Not having heretofore mentioned that the gear 
should be placed on trestles, we will do so now. When 
the gear was first run in the varnish room, it should 
have been placed upon trestles; one under the front 
axle, and one under the rear, the wheels about 
three inches from the floor. Now I place the stool 
with the varnish cup in front of the left hand front 
wheel, about at the hub. I then step to the front of 
the wheel, with left side to rim, and take hold of the 
rim with the left hand. The method of coating now 
is much different from the previous instructions for 
second and third coats. Instead of coating two spokes 
at a time, and so on, we flow the varnish on the sur- 
face of the eniire whe^l, which requires ac- 
celerated movements. Now I varnish the one side of 
the spokes, then the other, then I change the brush 
into the left hand and coat the back of the spokes. 
After this I change the brush back into the right hand 
and then coat the hub. You see I coat the rim, coat- 
ing the inside edge between the spokes and the out 
side face at the same time. Now I change the brush 
to the left hand and varnish the back of the rim. In 
so doing I stand in the same place and pay no atten- 
tion how the varnish looks, only wishing to cover the 
entire surface with a good heavy coat as quickly as 
possible. The wheel being now coated all over, I wipe 



80 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

the brush out quickly and commence to wipe up the 
superfluous amount of varnish and to brush it out and 
distribute it over the surface evenly. This I do by 
commencing with the side of the spokes I first coated, 
setting the brush on the .^poke at the end next to the 
hub, and brushing outwards to within five or six 
inches of the rim, allowing the brush to gradually run 
lighter until removed. I then set it on again at the 
rim, and brush toward the hub; over lapping the last 
brushing a few inches; always allowing the brush to 
leave the spoke with a very light and airy touch. 
Repeat this operation on each spoke (both sides.) 
Wipe the brush on the edge of the cup when it has 
picked up varnish enough to fill it; though you should 
not aim to wipe up any more of the varnish than the 
brush will pick up in lightly brushing over the sur- 
face. I go over the rim and hub in the same m?nner. 
This wiping off and brushing out must be done in a 
very quick way. 

Now that the wheel is varnished, and fin- 
ished, let it stand for two or three minutes, then 
turn it half way around. Let it stand this way for a 
few minutes when it may be turned another half turn; 
repeating this until you are quite sure the varnish is 
set sufficiently that it will not sag, or run down on any 
part of the wheel. The varnish is flowed on so heavy 
that if you do not turn the wheel, first one side 
up and then the other, until the varnish is set suffici- 
ently, it would be sure to sag and to ruin the work. 
You may keep on varnishing another wheel while you 
are looking after the wheel just finished. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 8 1 

The wheels being all varnished, and safely 
out of danger of the varnish running or sagging, we 
will now varnish the gear part. As this can not be 
turned up and down, and must stand in the same posi- 
tion, I am sure the student sees at once that he can 
not flow as much varnish on it as he has on the wheels. 
We now flow the varnish on the front half and wipe 
it out nicely, just the same as we did the wheels. 
Then the rear half is done in the same manner. With 
the completion of this the gear is finished, and after 
you have seen that everything is all right, leave the 
room, taking all tools and material out with you. 
Close the room and allow no one to enter until the 
varnish is dry and free from dust, which will be about 
twenty-four hours later, depending on the nature of 
the varnish used. 

The taking care op the brushes. — You should 
have a brush-safe for keeping the varnish brushes in. 
This may be made by having two cans, one just enough 
larger than the other to admit of its slipping over the 
other about one-half inch. The cans must be high 
enough to overreach the length of the brush. Make a 
hole in the handle of the brush large enough to run a 
wire through and about two and a half or three inches 
from the ends of the bristles, in the most convenient 
place. Provide some means of supporting the wire in 
the lower can, such as holes punched in the side of the 
can, and run the wire through them. 



82 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 




BRUSH-SAFE. 

Put two-thirds raw linseed oil arid one-third turpentine 
in the can until you have plenty to cover th e hairs of 
the brush when strung on the wire. After leaving the 
varnish room, pour what little varnish remains in the 
varnish cup into a can and mark it "Slush." Never 
pour it back into the can of good varnish, because there 
will be more or less sediment in it after working out 
of it. This "Slush" varnish may be used for some 
work requiring a cheaper finish; or can be used in the 
making of black enamel paint. After the varnish cup 
has been drained of the varnish, put some turpentine 
in it and wash the varnish out of the brushes; and at 
the same time wash the cup clean of varnish on the in- 
side; but do not rub the brushes over the outside, for 
fear of coming in contact with some grit or dirt. 
After the cup is washed, and brushes are clean, pour 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 83 

the turpentine out and turn cup upside down to drain. 
Then place the brushes in the brush safe, and on the 
wire, and slip the upper can over the lower can and set 
away until needed again. 



84 • THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Hints on Glazing Colors. 

In the foregoing description of coloring a gearing 
we have spoken only of black. The following may 
prove advantageous, should you desire to make the 
gearing some other color. 

For a dule RED use Indian, Tuscan, or Royal 
red, ground in japan. (All colorsfor coloring in carriage 
work must be ground in japan.) Mix ready for use 
in the same way as for drop black. 

Wine color. — This particular color is secured 
by superimposing a transparent color on an opaque 
color, thereby combining the color effect of the two 
colors, to produce the desired color. This may be done 
in this manner: Make a ground color of Indian red, 
mixed the same as drop black, only using a few drops 
more of raw linseed oil to make it a good eggshell gloss. 
Coat the gearing with this just in the same manner as 
you did with the black. Now take carmine and mash 
it fine; put it into the paint mill and mix stiff with rub- 
bing varnish. Add a little turpentine, after which it 
is ready for grinding. Grind through the mill with 
mill set quite close. After it is ground, thin with tur- 
pentine, with the addition of one or two drops of raw 
linseed oil. The carmine, or glazing color, must be 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 85 

thin so that when flowed over the ground color it al- 
lows the ground color to show through, thereby com- 
bining the effect of both colors- Now you are ready 
to proceed with the glazing. To use the glazing 
color, or carmine, successfully, you can only coat a 
small surface at a time; and must flow the glazing 
color on so as to insure an even distribution of the 
color. To glaze over an opaque ground and secure an 
even distribution of color without streaks, spots, light 
or dark places, is the most difficult part of the work. 
Coat the entire gear and its accessories with the above, 
using a camels' hair brush one and a half inches wide 
and of good thickness. When this glazing coat is 
thoroughly dry, color-varnish it with some rubbing 
varnish which has been colored by pmring so ne of 
the carmine you had left from the glazing into the 
varnish. Then varnish the gear in just the same way 
as per instructions on black color varnishing. 

You can use diffeut grounds to glaze over, such 
as English vermilion, chrome yellow, or white, though 
the brighter the ground color, the more difficult it will 
be to get an even coating of the glazing color. How- 
ever, the lighter the ground the purer the color of the 
glazing. 

To reach the acme of perfection in the superim* 
posing of a transparent color on an opaque color, re- 
quires much practice. But colors obtained through 
the glazing of one over the other are much more dura- 
ble than those secured by adding a little white with 
carmine or crimson lake. For cheaper work, crimson 
lake may be used instead of carmine. The different 



86 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

variations of color to be made by glazing one over the 
other are as great as the mind wishes to imagine. 
Many very beautiful colors, and colors not obtainable 
in any other way, are produced by the laying of trans- 
parent pigments over an opaque; such as French ul- 
tramarine blue over raw sienna and raw umber; rose 
madder over Indian red; and so on. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 87 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Painting the Carriage Body. 

The first thing we are called upon to do in the 
course of painting the carriage body, after it arrives 
in the paint room from the wood shop, is to prime it. 
This is done by making a priming paint of white lead, 
colored to a medium lead color with lamp black, and 
thinned with raw linseed oil, a little turpentine and a 
small quantity of coach japan. This priming coat 
should not be tco heavy, and when applied, should 
use just enough of the paint to give the surface a fair 
coat; being very sure to thoroughly rub the paint in 
the grain of the wood, coating the entire body, inside 
and out. However, before commencing the coating 
of the body, and for the convenience in handling it 
during the subsequent treatment, we will get three 
sticks, eight or ten inches longer than the body is wide 
and fasten them securely thereto with screws, one on 
the top, and the other two on the bottom; allowing 
them to extend an equal distance on each side, thus 
fotming legs on which the carriage body may stand 
while working at it. 



88 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



1 





POSITION OF CARRIAGE BODY. 

After the priming is dry, we putty all the plugs, 
nail holes, and all places needing putty; using the quick 
drying putty -po'-cen of in the chapter on painting the 
gearing. The bo lv must stand until this putty is dry 
through and 'hr ugh. Now we are ready for the first 
coat of filler, which is made of Reno's French umber 
and one-third each of rubbing varnish, coach japan and 
turpentine; using enough of the umber in the vehicle 
to make a paint of about the consistency of cream. — 
Th s filler can be used a little heavier than ordinary 
p lint. Apply four or five coats, according to condition 
and kind of job you wish to make. Putty after each 
oat of filler, until there are no traces of the plugs or 
nail holes. 

There is no logical reason why the roughstuff pro- 
cess does not amount to much. If so, I am not able 
to see it. In the well ordered shop, and by the skill- 
ed, conscientious painter, a great deal of pains are ta- 
ken with the mixing, applying and rubbing out the 
roughstuff, to the end that a fine finish may be obtain- 
ed. From my point of view, the application of the 
filler to the surface is one of the important steps in the 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 89 

successful building of a roughstuff foundation. If the 
pigment is put on the surface in a loose-jointed, care- 
less wav, thick and thin in spots, and not brushed out 
properly, the ever prevalent result will be that in rub- 
bing out, the workman will rub through to the lead 
coat, and, quite likely, to the wood, in places. 

A good finish can not be obtained over such a sur- 
face. The imperfect mixing of the roughstuff maybe 
responsible for some such sloppy work. The filler 
should be thinned down so that it can be put on and 
spread out without leaving brush marks. At the same 
time it should not be used too thin. One can easily 
drown the pigment with turpentine, making it a wash 
with no body; lacking substance, or surfacing quality. 
The filler required, aud that should be used, is one 
with enough body so that, with four or five coats, a 
sufficient depth is obtained to secure a good surface 
without rubbing off all the roughstuff. Factories are 
recognizing the increased demand for better painting; 
therefore the painter should give special attention to 
the mixing and application of the roughstuff, as well 
as to other branches of the work. The filler should be 
applied with the object of securing a smooth surface, 
to the end that the minimum amount of rubbing will 
develop the maximum degree of levelness and smooth- 
ness. 

After you have put on as many coats of filler as 
you think necessary, make what is called a guide coat, 
by taking dry lamp black and mixing it with turpen- 
tine, with just a little japan to act as a binder. (Use 
just a small amount of japan — a few drops; too much 



go THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

will make hard work to cut it off;) and only mix a 
small quantity. Make thi guide oat thin, like water, 
and barely rub on enough to blacken the surface of 
the filler. 

When the body has received all the coats of filler, 
and the guide coat, and has stood from six to eight 
hours, it is ready to cut down with the pumice stone. 
This is accomplished in the following manner: Pro- 
cure a worn-out saw, a coarse, flat file, a sponge, a 
bucket of water and a lump of pumice stone. Now 
take the saw and cut the lump of pumice stone in the 
middle, making two pieces with one flat side on each 
piece. Place one end of the file in the water; also dip 
the lump of pumice stone in the water, and then rub 
it over the file to give it an even and smooth surface. 
This treatment of the stone should be repeated 
from time to time while rubbing the body, should any 
hard, or gritty spot appear on the surface of the stone, 
as this would scratch the surface of the body. Now 
place the body on its side, being careful not to bump 
any of the filler off in handling it. Wet the side of the 
body with the sponge, then commence rubbing the 
guide coat off with the flat side of the piece of pumice 
stone. Keep plenty of water on the side of the 
body, rubbing with long strokes, from one end of the 
body to the other, always rubbing with the grain of 
the wood — never crosswise. Go over the entire side 
with this large piece of stone until the side is quite 
smooth; but be careful not to rub through the filler to 
the wood; as it is difficult to fix such a place that it 
can not be seen. When you have gone over the entire 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 91 

side with the large piece of stone, then take a small 
piece and rub all the places where the guide coat re- 
mains, such as uneven places where the large stone 
could not touch. Go over the side with the small 
piece until no guide coat is visible. Repeat this op- 
peration on all sides and panels, then wash the body 
clean, and set away to dry. If it is an extra fine car- 
riage, you can rub the inside with the lump of pumice 
stone, though sandpapering will make a fairly good job 
for the inside of the box. 

When the body is dry, which will be in about 
twenty-four hours after the rubbing is finished, take 
No. — o sandpaper and paper the entire exterior of the 
body. This will make the surface smooth and hard 
like glass- The inside of the body will need but two 
coats of filler and to be sandpapered with No. % paper. 
Coloring.— After the body has been papered and 
dusted down, use drop black, ground in japan, and 
thinned with turpentine to proper consistency for use, 
with the addition of two or three drops of raw linseed 
oil. Use a camel's hair brush, two inches wide and of 
good thickness to apply the color. This will require 
two or three hours to dry, when it is ready to receive 
the color varnish. The color varnish is prepared in 
the same manner as for the gearing; and applied the 
same as varnishing. This color varnish will dry suf- 
ficiently to work over in about fifteen hours. Moss the 
color varnish off well, which serves to destroy the gloss 
and remove specks and so on. Now we will give the 
body a clear coat of rubbing varnish, one coat of the 
clear rubbing varnish being sufficient for most any 



92 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

kind of work. When this coat is dry rub it down with 
pulverized pumice stone and water, removing all specks 
and bringing it to an even and perfect surface ready to 
receive the final coat of varnish. If you desire to do 
striping now is the time to do it. If not, we will make 
arrangements for varnishing the body. 

Varnishing. — The varnish room must be pre- 
pared with care. Sweep and dust the room perfectly 
clean. Sprinkle the room down with water, using a 
sponge to do the sprinkling. Wash the body with 
clean water, being sure to wash all the pumice stone 
off. Wipe off all the water with a chamois skin; 

then remove the body to the varnish room and close 
the door, allowing the room and body to remain so tor 
an hour or more, giving the room opportunity to dry 
out some. The temperature of the room in the sum- 
mer time can not be regulated very well; but it can 
and should be kept at about 8o° in the winter. 

Procure the best "Medium Drying Body Varnish" 
possible and blow the dust off of the top of the can be- 
fore removing the cork. 

Have a two inch, bear's hair varnish brush, of 
good thickness. Wash it out in clean turpentine 
— to remove all dust or particles of dirt there might be 
in the brush. 

Now pour a tin cup about half full of the varnish, 
and prepare the dusting brush in the same manner as 
spoken of in the chapter on varnishing the gearing. 

Now, go with me to the varnish room, figurative- 
ly. Before entering we will remove all superfluous 
clothing, and thoroughly dust off the clothing we have 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 93 

retained. We will now enter the room, taking with 
us the brush, tin cup, varnish can and duster. The 
varnish, however, must not be poured out until after 
all arrangements for the final act have been completed. 
Even the tin cup and the brush should be placed un- 
der cover to keep dust from them until ready for use. 

Just stand over there and do not move about, for 
fear of starling some little particles of dust afloat. We 
can not be too careful in this particular. You will ob- 
serve throughout the entire process of varnishing the 
body, the operator is very guarded in all his move- 
ments. The body is supposed to be standing on the 
three sticks, with the side horizontal. 

With the duster prepaid as spoken of before, I 
dust the entire body by drawing the duster across the 
surface of the body, with rather a slow motion, in or- 
der that the little particles of dust may adhere to the 
varnish on the duster. 

All preparations being made, I will take the var- 
nish cup in the left hand; and, with the varnish brush 
in the right, I take my position at the side of the body, 
facing the bottom of it. The brush being very liberal- 
ly charged with the varnish, I commence flowing the 
varnish on the side of the body, with the grain of the 
wood, or the longest way. This must be flowed on 
rather quickly. I wipe my brush out now on the var- 
nish cup, and then course the varnish crosswise of 
the side of the body, going the entire length of the 
side. Now I wipe the brush out again and place it 
lightly on one end, and at one edge, and draw the 
brush very lightly from one end to the other; repeat- 



94 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

ing the operation until the entire side has been brush- 
ed out. This completes the "finishing" of this one 
side. 

You have noticed that, while I flowed a very heavy 
coat of varnish on the side, I was careful not to allow 
any of the varnish to run over and down the ends, or 
edges. 

Now I turn the body over and varnish the other 
side in the same manner. Both sides being now fin- 
ished, the next thing is to varnish the two ends. It 
is quite obvious that, with the two ends standing per- 
pendicular, there can not be quite so much varnish 
flowed on them as on the sides. However, the var- 
nish must first be applied to the end, brushing up and 
down; then I course the varnish crosswise finally finish- 
ing by lightly brushing up and down. While I am 
varnishing the seat, which is placed upside down on a 
barrel or box, I keep a watch of the two ends of the 
body; and should I notice a tendency in the varnish to 
run, I turn the body over with the other side up f caus- 
ing the varnish to settle back 1o its place. The body 
now being finished you mav retire with me from the 
room, taking with us the varnish can, cup and brush. 
"We close the do or, allowing no one to enter until the 
body is dry and safe from dust. This will require 
from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The brush is 
cleaned and put in a varnish safe, as illustrated in a 
previous chapter. For this varnish brush should al- 
ways be kept separate and used only for varnishing 
bodies. 

In the summer time the flies should all be chased 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 95 

out, or killed, when preparing the room for varnishing. 
Always wash the oil out of the brush before com- 
mencing to varnish; for any oil in the brush will retard 
the drying of the varnish and have a tendency to make 
it "tackey." 



96 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Colors and Some of Their Chief Characters. 

Hitherto the student has been carried through 
a simple course of instructions in outline of work, which 
naturally resolves itself in to a study of color, and which 
in turn, is the next point for consideration. 

This is a wide and varied theme, into which it is 
not proposed to enter at very great length. Color, in 
so far as it is understood, or ought to be understood 
by the painter, is all that it is intended to explain. 
The higher branches of art are altogether beyond the 
scope of the present manual, and have been treated 
again and again by different writers on the subject. 
Most of these works, however, which are written by 
artists, and for artists, are of but little use to the stu- 
dent just beginning. The vehicles employed are in 
many cases the same; but the method of using them 
differs materially. 

For this reason, in the pages which follow, the 
beaten track of writers on color is avoided. A practi- 
cal acquaintance with the subject upon which we are 
treating, convinces us that much error may be obviat- 
ed by setting down a few facts, regardless of what all 
preceeding expositors have advanced. 

First, I prefer to deal with the colors themselves, 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 97 

the vehicles employed in mixing them; and then to give 
a few hints regarding their use, and such other partic- 
ulars as may seem to be called for, in order that the be- 
ginner may thoreughly compiehend the subject in all 
its bearings. It may be thought that the painter will 
at limes require for his purpose every color that is 
manufactured and sold as an article of commerce; but 
this is by no means the case, as so many different hues, 
tints, and shades can be obtained by mixing two or 
more colo:s together. And, besides, there are many 
colors in favor with the artists, which for the purpose 
of the ordinary painter are altogether unnecessary. 
The following, however, are quite indispensible and 
should be amongst the painters' stock: 

White Lead Lake (Crimson or 

Flake White Scarlet.) 

Zinc White Rose Madder 

Chrome Yellow Ivory Black 
Yellow Ochre Lamp Black 

Raw Sienna Prussian Blue 

Burnt Sienna French Ultramarine 

Indian Red Emerald Green 

Vermilion Raw Umber 

Burnt Umber. 
Of these colors, some are transparent and others 
opaque. Some are mineral and others vegetable; and, 
consequently, a few words as to their nature, and the 
method of mixing and using them, seem to be called 
for before any reference is made to the laws of coloring. 
White lead, which is totally indispensible, is 
used in large quantities. It varies greatly in quality; 



98 TH£ PAINTERS' EDtJCAf Ok\ 

and, therefore, tco much care cannot be bestowed in 
selecting it. That most generally used is procured 
ground in oil, and is of the consistency of thick paste. 
It improves by keeping; old white lead possessing 
greater body, or covering capacity, than that newly 
manufactured. The cheapest quality is- decidedly the 
most expensive in the end, and should never form any 
part of the painters" stock. It is largely adulterated 
with sulphate of baryta. This may be detected by its 
insolubility in dilute nitric acid which will entirely dis-> 
solve pure white lead. Considering that white lead is 
the pigment most frequently mixed with colors to pro- 
duce their tone, it is of the utmost importance that it 
should be of the best quality. 

Flake white ranks next in body or density to 
white lead, and is employed for highly finished work, 
in which a pure white is nee 'ed. It is generally used 
for the finishing coat; white lead being almost always 
used for the first painting; because, owing to the great 
body it possesses it covers the ground more effectually, 
while the flake white acts as the decorative coating. 

Zinc white is considered to be more durable 
than white lead or flake white. It is extremely pure, 
but has the disadvantage of possessing little body or 
covering power. Hence it is not held in such esteem 
by painters as it is by the artist, to whom this is no 
great detriment; because he can plaster on his color as 
thickly as he pleases; whereas the painter is necessari- 
ly limited to a few thin layers. However, it may be 
combined in mixture with white lead as previously 
spoken of in the chapter on "Exterior painting,."' 



the painters' educator. 99 

Thus the white lead makes the body, or opaqueness, 
and the zinc adds the durability. 

For all ordinary painting, the best white lead will 
be found sufficient. It is only in very delicate or par- 
ticular work that either flake white or zinc white need 
be had recourse to. 

Ivory black, which is the purest and deepest of 
the blacks, is made in forms resembling "drops;" and 
for that reason is sometimes called 'drop black." It 
requires a good deal of careful grinding, being some- 
what hard; and, unless it is ground very fine, it will 
spoil the work. It should be ground in japan and 
thinned with turpentine for all ordinary coating; and 
should never be used only over grounds prepared from 
white lead mixtures; though simply thinning with tur- 
pentine to a watery mixture, with a few drops of japan 
to bind it, will make a good ebony stain. For striping 
and decorative purposes, it may be used ground in oil, 
in collapsible tubes. Some writers advise grinding 
Ivory Black in turpentine, then adding gold size as a 
binder; but ground in japan, as formerly stated, is 
much preferred. Turpentine is a volatile oil, has no 
binding properties, and any color diluted with it alone, 
will be easily removed as if it were mixed with water, 
with out the addition of size or glue to bind it. 

I^amp black is the most pleasant working and 
the cheapest black used by the painter. It is not quite 
so intense as ivory black; but possesses more friendly 
and agreeable qualities. The best way to procure it, 
is to buy it ground in oil. It is free from grit, dense 
in color, and works easily under sable pencils. A 



LofC. 



106 ?h£ painters' EDtJCATGk\ 

small quantity of japan drier should be added, to in* 
sure its drying with a unifomity of surface. 

Vermilion. — There are many kinds of red manu- 
factured for the use of the painter. These vary great- 
ly, both in color and in body. The red most in use 
by the painter where a bright red is required, is "En- 
glish Vermilion," which is intense and bright, There 
are several varieties of vermilion, or wdiat is sold un- 
der that name. Being a heavy pigment, it is some- 
what expensive. For this reason the inferior qualities 
of vermilion, or rather its imitations ; commonly called 
mock colors, are frequently employed. These mock 
colors, are exceedingly transitory. When exposed to 
the action of the sun's rays, they turn, in a few months, 
to*a sort of purple brown, and subsequently to a dull 
black. On this account they should be avoided on all 
work of any importance. And besides this disadvan- 
tage, these inferior vermilions do not mix or work 
well, having a tendency to mealiness, which prevents 
them from flowing from the brush freely. 

When exposed to the sun the best will lose its 
brilliancy after a few months; and though this may 
be arrested for a short time by a coating of clear var- 
nish, it will be certain to become dark in the long run. 
This is to be regretted, too, as vermlilion is- the only 
really intense bright red that possesses any body in 1 
itself. Notwithstanding this fugitive quality, how- 
ever, it is a color which is greatly prized by the 
painter, and one which he can not well dispense with. 

If English vermilion is secured in the dry state, 
and m.ixe.d stiff in a durable varnish and thinned for use' 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. IOI 

with turpentine, and subsequently varnished it will 
hold its color much longer than if mixed in oil. It 
can be procured ground in japan. 

Vermilion, in a state of powder, maybe tested by 
placing a dust of it on a piece of clean white paper, 
and crushing it with the thumb nail. If pure, it will 
not change its color by any amount of rubbing; but, if 
adulterated, it will become a deep chrome yellow, or 
assume the appearance o f red lead, with which articles it 
is mixed in order to render cheaper. This accounts for 
the unstable quality of the inferior kinds of vermilion. 

Lake. — The other reds that have any pretensions 
to brilliancy are Geranium, Crimson, Scarlet Lake and 
Rose Madder. These are very pure, transparent colors; 
and, therefore, they are exceedingly devoid of body; 
and on that account are not easily manageable. Lake 
can only be used as a glaze— that is, as a transparent 
color, superimposed on some under color. 

Carmine is another exceedingly charming red, 
very much the same nature as lake. Owing to its 
great brilliancy it is much prized by flower painters. 

Indian Red is a serviceable color, working very 
agreeably, and possessing very great body; one coat 
being sufficient to hide any ground color over which it 
may be laid. It is of a deep purple cast, and is 
very useful as a shade tint to vermilion; being 
darker in tone, and less brilliant. As a ground color 
it is in great repute. It will stand for a longtime, re- 
taining its color to the last. When used as a ground; 
or, as a last coat, and not to be varnished, it should be 
mixed with boiled linseed oil, with a small quantity of 



io2 the painters' educator. 

drier; or it may be mixed with (supposing it to 
have been ground in japan) turpentine, with a few 
drops of raw linseed oil. When mixed in this way it 
dri^s very rapidly. It should be laid on without much 
teasing or working about; care being taken that no 
part of the space to be covered is missed, because any 
attempt to re-touch, after the color is dry. will show 
itself. The color mixed in this way will dry dead, or 
fiat, and should be varnished. Of course, if Indian 
Red be mixed with boiled linseed oil, it will be longef 
drying,, and when dry will appear glot-sy; so that it 
will not require varnishing. It may be observed that 
Varnish stands out better — that is, appears brighter on 
a dead or flat color than upon a bright or golssy one.. 
This applies not only to Indian Red, but to all colors. 

Purple Brown is another red color, deeper in 
tone and not quite so pure as Indian Red; but it is 
very useful as a ground color, and also in shading. It 
should be mixed in the same manner as the preced- 
ing. It may easily be imitated by a mixture of ver- 
milion and lamp black; but, of course, this is not at all 
a commendable operation} the Purple Brown being 
much cheaper than a mixture of vermilion and black. 
It can be bought at a cheap rate ground in oil. 

Red Lead is admittedly the most perfect iron 
primer. Its remarkable adhesion to smooth surfaces,. 
to which other paints cannot find attachment, affords 
permanent foundation for subsequent work. The fol- 
lowing coats can be anything; but, to insure best re- 
sults, ought to be Red lead, too. Red Lead's recog- 
nized excellence for priming should not preclude its 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 103 

use for latter applications. Second coat work is best 
when h Imogen :ous, that the different coats may be 
acted upon the same, expanding and contracting with 
each other. 

Eventually the Red Lead may fade by a gradual 
transformation of the oxide into carbonate. This does 
not impair its durability however. It is only a sur- 
face change and slight scraping will show the Red 
Lead underneath of the same color as when applied. 
The introduction of a quantity of dry lamp black, (not 
to exceed an ounce to a pound of lead, ) will give a more 
permanent, darker shade, while retaining the physi^ 
cal advantages of Red lead alone. 

It is an oil cement, with the convenience of a 
paint. Like other cements, it should be applied with- 
in a reasonable length of time after combination with 
the vehicle; that the hardening, or "initial set," shall 
take place on the surface of the iron to be protected 
and not in the pot. 

The above results are best obtained by the use of 
raw linseed oil alone, with red lead. However, min- 
ute quantities of japan, or varnish, may be added; or 
boiled oil used, instead of raw; depending on the re- 
quirements of the work — to make the vehicle more vis- 
cious, better sustaining the heavy particles of Red Lead. 

There can be no dogmatic formula for the mixture 
of Red Lead. Temperature, moisture, character of 
the surface, skill and the experience of the painter all 
being factors. However, by substantial agreement, 
ail the way from eighteen to twentyfive pounds of dry 
Red Lead to one gallon of vehicle, will make a good 



104 THE PAINTERS* EDUCATGK. 

mixture. 

French ultramarine. — The most serviceable 
blue for the painter is French Ultramarine, which is a 
cheap and good substitute for the genuine article. It 
is permanent, kindly working, and affords a variety of 
clear tints when mixed with white. It is a brilliant- 
blue, and preserves its purity when reduced in tone by 
the addition of white. It may be deepened by adding 
Prussian Blue, or Indigo, for shading; or by a triffling 
addition of black. 

Prussian blue is another serviceable color, but 
not so brilliant as the preceding. It is useful for blue 
grounds; but, owing to its extreme depth, it requires 
the addition of white to bring out the color. Used in 
its pure state, it has the appearance of a fine, lustrous 
black; and a common black looks gray in contact with 
it. Prussian blue is a good working color, and a 
quick drier, it should be mixed sparingly with other 
colors, as its intensity renders it dangeious and over-- 
powering in its- effects. 

The other blues are: INTENSE BLUE, which is 
very similar to French ultramarine; Antwerp' 
blue; Indigo, something like Prussian bli/E, but not 
quite so light. 

Chrome yellow. -^Tbefe are several kinds of 
chrome, but those most generally used are known as 
pale, medium and deep; the former being almost a 
straw color, and the latter approaching a deep orange. 
They are seldom required in a pure form, most always- 
being used in connection with some other pigment. 
Yellow ochre is a servicable color for thickness. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 105 

but is not so brilliant as the foregoing. It is cheap 
and very useful as a coloring matter. 

Raw sienna is a brownish yellow, and is a clear, 
friendly working pigment. It is quite permanent. 

Burnt sienna. — -This is an invaluable color; be- 
ing a rich, transparent, reddish brown; eminently 
adapted for shading and glazing over gold leaf; and 
very strong in color. 

Vandyke brown. — A rich, deep, transparent 
brown; is useful for glazing, and especially for mark- 
ings on gold. 

Emerald green is the most vivid of the greens, 
and is a valuable color for painters. It is light in tone 
and can not be imitated by any mixture of yellow and 
blue. ' » 



Io6 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR- 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Summary of Some of the Pigments Most Com' 

monly in Use. 

I<AMP black — smoke from coal tar. 

Drop black — charred bone. 

The umbers are an earth found in Turkey and 
the island of Cyprus. 

The siennas are an earth found in the neighbor- 
hood of Sienna, Italy. 

Chrome Green is made from the blue oxide of 
chromium; but that mostly in use is a compound of 
potash, sulphur and chromic acid. 

Prussian Blue is properly a ferrocyanate of iron. 

Venitian red is an earth, found in various parts 
of the world. 

Red lead, or oxide of lead. 

White lead, or carbonate of lead, prepared by 
submitting common lead to the action of acetic acid. 

Vermilion, composed of sulphur and quick sil- 
ver. 

Chrome yellow, made from chromium and acet- 
ate, or the nitrate of lead. 

Yellow ochre is an earth. The best comes 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 107 

from France. 

Naples yellow is an earth, found near Naples. 

Whiting is a carbonate of lime. 

Silver white is a lead, prepared by elutriation. 



Io8 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR, 



CHAPTER XX. 
Hints on Coloring 

The primary colors are yellow, red and blue; the 
secondary are orange, green and purple; and the terti- 
ary are citron, russet and olive. 

Orange is com posed of yellow and red; green of 
yellow and blue; and purple of blue and red. Citron 
is a compound of orange and green; russet of purple 
and orange; and olive of purple and green. 

These colors vary in "tint," "shade" and "hue" 
-^terms which are often used indiscriminately by per- 
sons who are professionally engaged in painting in 
some form or other. But these terms are perfectly 
distinct, and express different meanings which it is 
proper should be clearly understood, 

Every compound of the three primary colors is a 
hue. For instance, green, being composed of yellow 
and blue, may vary in hue from the yellowest to the 
bluest; a purple, which is a compound of blue and red, 
may vary in hue as one or the other of these colors 
predominate; and an orange, a mixture of yellow 7 and 
ed, may vary from the yellowest to the reddest. A 
multiplicity of hues may thus be formed of two pri- 
maries; but a still greater number may be made by a 
combination of the three primaries which form the 



THE PAINTERS' 1 EDUCATOR. lot) 

tertiaries by subordinating or giving predominance to 
either of them. A color may be changed in hue with- 
out any change taking place in its name, Thus, 
When We speak of green, it may be any hue between 
blue or yellow; or purple, whether it inclines to red or 
blue, it is still called purple. Similarly with regard 
to the tertiaries, the name of the color is the same 
whichever of the primaries predominates. 

If, now, we take either of the primaries, second- 
ries, or tertiaries, and reduce them in to ne with an 
admixture of white, we at once change the names of 
the colors, and get a tint. A red, for instance, may, 
by the introduction of white, be made to vary in tint 
from its most intense state, through every gradation 
up to white; changing its name to carnation, pink, sal- 
mon, and so forth, according as the red or white pre- 
dominates. This applies not only to the primaries, but 
to the different hues, which, equally with the intense 
color, are capable of every state of dilution up to white, 
it is evident, therefore, that the variety of tint is im- 
mensely greater than that of hue. 

If we take color or hue in its intense state, and in- 
troduce black, instead of a tint, we get a shade; for 
by shade is meant every gradation of a color, or hue, 
from its original purity down to black. The shades, 
like the tints, have distinct names; thus, if black be 
added to red, the result will be what is called a "choc- 
•olate." 

It is important to bear in mind that there can be 
no perfectly harmonious arrangement of colors from 
which either of the primary colors is absent; just as in 



IIO THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

form, either structural or decorative, there can be no 
perfect composition or harmony unless there is a pro- 
per tendency of straight, inclined and curved lines. 
There should, in every arrangement, be one leading 
color, to which the others should play only a subordin- 
ate part. If bright and vivid colors are used with dis- 
crimination, they add richness and grandeur; but, if 
they are applied without reference to place or quantity, 
they are apt to become gaudy and offensive. Harmony 
consists, therefore, in a proper balancing of the differ- 
ent parts, by keeping some colors in due subordina- 
tion, and giving prominence to others. In stating that 
the three primaries should be present, it is not intend- 
ed to imply that they should all appear in full strength; 
because they may be diluted with white, and be used 
only as tints; or they may be combined with black, 
and be used merely as shades. In either case, they 
serve to balance the arrangement, and can not be omit- 
ted without detracting from the beauty of the work. 
It is a prevalent error among the uninitiated to 
consider that the arrangement of color is a matter of 
fancy. Many painters of superlative order say the 
color theme is of little importance, and that the atten- 
tion should be centered upon drawing. This, howev- 
er, is correct in the sense of construction only. But, 
suppose you have become very proficient in the repro- 
ducing of the model, and the color theme has had no 
study. How very ridiculous, in the eyes of the con- 
noisseur, will the work appear, if the colors are unbal- 
anced, void of harmony, and the warm and cool colors 
misplaced. The study of drawing and color should be 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 1 1 1 

considered alike, the importance of one being no 
greater than the ocher. Most persons know that 
there are three primary colors; and they think that 
these may be used in all sorts of capricious combina- 
tions; but it has been proven by the greatest scientific 
authorities that the phenomena of colors are regulated 
and governed by irrefragable laws of harmony in their 
combinations; and they can no more be used upon any 
principle of haphazard than can the notes in a melody , 
or other musical composition. What would bethought 
of a composer who should imagine that, by selecting a 
number of musical notes at random, and arranging 
them consecutively, he would succeed in producing a 
piece of music that would delight the ear? And yet 
this is precisely what many people do in regard to col- 
or. They place them in all sorts of whimsical juxta- 
position, and when they have a sort of badly arranged 
patch work, flatter themselves that the> have a refined 
taste and a good eye for color. 



112 THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Gold Leaf and Gilding. 

The painter may procure the Gold Leaf at a color 
store, or an artists' supply house, in books containing 
twenty-five leaves of gold; each leaf of gold being care- 
fully placed between the papers constituting the book, 
which is first rubbed over with red bole to prevent the 
gold from adhering. 

The size of the leaves is about 3-76 inches square. Cut 
out the first sheet of paper constituting the hook. A 
little raw linseed oil rubbed over this sheet will make 
it transparent. The paper should be placed on a 
smooth board, and, with a dry, soft rag, wipe off all 
excrescences of oil, on both sides of the paper. The 
paper, which has been thus prepared, will possess a 
certain "tackiness," or sticky quality, scarcely percep- 
tible to the touch; but sufficient to cause the gold leaf 
to adhere to it. After some of the sheets of gold have 
been used, you can cut out more of the leaves of the 
book and prepare them in the same way; thus giving 
more paper to work with. This having been done, the 
gold leaf book may be carefully opened, and the oiled 
sheet of paper gently pressed upon the gold with the 
hand. On removing the paper, the gold will be found 
attached to it. Each sheet of gold should be taken out 



( mt PAltfTiJRS* EDUCATOR. 113 

of the book in the same way. The gold leaf, being 
thus secured upon the oiled paper, is ready for use. 

The oil should be wiped thoroughly from the pa* 
per; if not, the gold will adhere to it too tightly when 
you are ready to do the leafing. It may be evident 
that the difficulty experienced through the extraordin- 
ary thinness of the gold, is> by this means, to a great 
extent, overcome. The paper, with the gold attached, 
can be handled by any person, however inexperienced, 
and may be used over and over again. 

Let it be supposed that the Work to be gilded has 
been coated in with the most suitable material, and 
that it is ready to receive the gold leaf, All that the 
gilder has to do is to take up the oiled paper with the 
left hand, and place it with the gilded side to the siz- 
ing; and, having rubbed the back lightly with the right 
hand, the gold will come off of the paper and adhere 
firmly to the mordant with Which the work has been 
coated. Besides the simplicity of this method of gild* 
ing, another great advantage it possesses is the small 
amount of waste that takes place. The oil paper be- 
ing semi-transparent, the gold leaf shows through it, 
and the operator can see where any portion of the gold 
adheres to the paper; and can accordingly place it on 
portions of the work as it will best fit, without any un- 
due number of joinings; though by this process, if the 
gold leaf be good, not the slightest trace of any join- 
ings is discernible. It will readily be understood that 
every particle of gold can be made use of. 

In addition to these advantages, this method of 
gilding possesses other recommendations which are de- 



114 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

serving of mention. In the first place, the labor of af- 
fixing the gold to the oiled paper, and subsequently to 
the lettering, decorations, and so forth, can he performed 
by an apprentice; or any one who would utterly fail if 
called upon to use it in other ways commonly in use by 
gilders, which have not, herein, been made mention of. 
Then, again, gilding from the tip, or cushion; or from 
the book, without cutting, can not be effected out-of- 
door. 1 - if there happens to be any force of wind. The 
ordinary 7 draught, or current of air, which frequently 
passes through the street, is a serious hindrance to the 
operation of gilding from the tip, or cushion. 

In the foregoing method, the gold leaf should be 
gently daubed over with a pad, or cotton woo 1 , which 
will smooth the surface of the gilt, and remove all su- 
perfluous pieces of gold. 

There is one thing preliminary to the process of 
laying on the gold which has not yet been noticed. A 
newly-painted surface is, of course, sticky; which is 
technically called "tackey;" and if the gold leaf were 
to be applied to such a surface, it would adhere, or 
"hang, "as it is called, to parts of the ground color 
where the mordant had not touched, and where the 
gold was not required. It is necessary, therefore, be- 
fore the work is even marked out, that the newly 
painted surface should be "pounced" — that is, daub- 
ed over lightly with dry whiting. Care should be ta- 
ken that the loose particles are dusted off by the gen- 
tle application of a silk handkerchief. If the ground 
color, upon which the gold leaf is to be laid, be a dark 
one, this pouncing (which is best done by placing the 



TttK PAINTERS* EDUCATOR. II5 

Whiting in a bag and making a kind of pad, or ball, 
which should be daubed over the work,) will so far 
lighten it, that the gilder will be able to distinguish 
any line he may make with the sable pencil charged 
with the size, as the size will restore the ground to its 
original color. Bur, if the ground be a light one, the 
pencil will not have this effect; and hence it becomes 
necessary to mix some kind of color with the size, to 
enable the operator to make certain that he has thor- 
oughly covered the portion to be gilded. The whiting 
is removed from the ground after the gold leat is ap- 
plied, and has become somewhat hard, by washing 
over the work with a very soft sponge, and then dry- 
ing the surface by wiping very lightly over it with a 
damp chamois skin. 

The mordants used for gilding are of different 
kinds. Out-of-door gilding, and gilding requiring 
great durability, is sized with a size made of fat oil, in 
which yellow ochre has been ground. This is, under 
certain circumstances, a good material for the purpose 
■of signwriters; but it is too thick for general adoption; 
especially in cold weather, when it is unmanageable 
with the sable pencil . In hot weather it is not so thick, 
and may be used with advantage. The gold leaf must 
not be applied to this mordant for at least twenty-four 
hours after application; and it will remain tackey for 
two or three days. It is, perhaps, the most durable of 
any of the sizes used for gilding. When the work is 
to be finished more rapidly, japaners' gold size, or even 
rubbing varnish, is generally employed. The gold leaf 
•may be laid on this sizing in about half an hour after 



Il6 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

it has been applied, as it dries very rapidly. Linseed 
oil should not be mixed with gold size to retard its 
drying properties, because it is apt, not only to destroy 
the adhesiveness of the size, but to "sweat" through 
and ultimately discolor the metalic leaf. Do not var- 
nish over the gold, such as sign writing or gold leaf in 
general; as it spoils the metalic effect. 

If any parts have not been touched by the size, 
when the gold leaf is applied, these omissions will be 
very perceptible; and any attempt to patch them after- 
wards will be a failure; as it will not be possible to pre- 
vent them from showing. 



*th'e i>AiK v rims' Educator, n; 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Gilding* Bronzing and Burnishing. Instructions 

for Amateurs. 

The kind of size to be used for bronzing, gilding and 
burnishing, where brilliancy is wanted, is called bur- 
nishing gold srze. It can be used for all purposes, 
only it dries quickly. It can be purchased at paint 
stores, (in paste). To prepare this size for applica- 
tion, put a Very little into a cup and then gently stir 
in water till it is the consistency of cream. Then slow- 
ly add thin white glue. The glue at first will thicken 
the size, but by still adding the glue it will again be- 
come the consistency of cream; and then it is ready for 
use. Now, with a camels' hair brush, go over the 
work two or three coats^ letting each coat dry.; and do 
not put on too thick, but have the work thoroughly 
•covered before you apply the bronze powder. To ap- 
ply the bronze powder, first mix a very small portion 
of dissolved white glue in half a tea cup of water; then 
just dampen a camels' hair brush, or even the point of 
your finger; be sure not to have it wet or it will wash 
or rub off the sizing instead of bronzing it. Now dip 
this moistened brush, or finger, in to the bronze pow- 
der and rub it over the work, and the article is bronzed 



Il8 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

to gold or silver, or to any other color according to the 
color of the bronze powder used. This is called a 
dead bronze. If gold bronze is used, and you wish to 
burnish it, rub the burnisher over it, and it burnishes 
at once. (Burnishers can be bought at paint stores). 

I do not give these as instructions to those who 
know, but to show that either man or women can, with 
little expense, and very little practice, bronze up old 
frames, statuary, or any plaster figure, and do it for 
the home, or for sale. 

Bronzing by means of mixed bronze, is to take 
coach japan, and put a small quantity of it in a cup. 
Add to the japan gold bronze until it is of the consis- 
tency of cream; then give the work a coat of it, using 
a small camels' hair brush to put it on with. Mix a 
small quantity at a time; because, if the mixture should 
stand for a while before using, it will not be quite so 
bright. This is the most useful method for all work 
not requiring great brightness. 

This method of bronzing may be used in bronzing 
radiators, wrought iron work, and many different ar- 
ticles. Best results will be obtained by applying the 
above mixture to the article while moderately heated , 
if circumstances will permit. 



Tttifi painters' educator. 119 



CHAPTER XXHIv 

Linseed Oil. 

Linseed oil is the seed of the flax plant, from 
Which linen is mide. It grows in all pa^ts of Europe, 
in the Western States of America, India and New 
Zeland. The flax plant intended for linen is pulled 
before the seed ripens. The flax intended for oil is 
allowed to fully ripen before being cut. All the weeds 
that grow With it are cut with it. The seed of these 
weeds gets mixed up with the genuine flaxseed and is 
supposed to be one of the causes of impure and bad 
oil. 

Linseed oil,, when it is poor, thin and weak in 
quality, is but one halt its former self, and bad; but 
when it is adulterated with fish oil, cotton seed oil,, or 
petroleum, (known in the trade as neutral oil), it is a 
pickpocket that will rob both you and your customer. 
There has been a great deal of time given to experi- 
menting and testing on the frauds of pigments. Bary- 
tes and pulp lead have come in for a fair share of at- 
tention. The strength and value of the pigments have 
been carefully compared, and with profit to the trade. 
•Let us here pause and ask ourselves the question; 
"What part of the paint is the pigment, and what part 
is the oil? A writer has truly said that linseed oil 



120 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

has nine-tenths of the virtue of the varnish; and I am 
inclined to think it is nine-tenths, or even more. I 
have no hesitation in saying that I attribute the great- 
er part of the trouble with bad paint, to bid, adulter- 
ated linseed oil and turpentine. Much of the turpen- 
tine used, is adulterated with about twenty percent of 
kerosene oil. 

I would attribute the quick decay of paint to the 
deficient quality of the linseed oil; whereas the oil, 
years ago, was cold pressed, the present oil is steam 
pressed. By the old process they got from a gallon 
and a quarter to a gallon and a half, to a bushel of 
seed; now, with the use of hydraulic presses and steam, 
they get a yield of two and a half and even three gal- 
lons. This they brand with impunity "Pure linseed oil." 
While it is true the oil is pure, yet the quality is tar 
below that from the old, cold pressed production. 

We are told that in drying, linseed oil gives off 
some elements, and takes on others. Notably, it gives 
off water, and takes on oxygen. This is what pro- 
duces the leather like substance when it is dry. Water 
acts readily on linseed oil; it opens up the suiface, as 
it were, and fits it to amalgamate with the next coat. 

To TEST THE QUALITY OF UNSEED OIE. — Morell 
detects the adulteration in the followiug method: 
"Take ten parts by weight, of the suspected oil, mix 
it in a small cylindrical glass tube with three parts of 
crude nitric acid, agitate the mixture well, and allow 
it to rest. If adulteration is present the oily layer at 
top assumes a dark brown to blackish brown color, 
while the acid at bottom varies from bright orange to 



THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 121 

orange or dark yellow. So little as three percent of 
adulteration may thus be detected. If the flax seed 
oil is pure it becomes during the agitation, first sea 
green, and afterwards dirty greenish yellow, the acid 
being bright yellow." 



Recipe for making white shellac: — Dissolve 
eight pounds of shellac in one gallon of alcohol. 



122 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

The Sinking in of Painted, or Varnished Suiv 

faces. 

There is no difficulty confronting the painter, per- 
haps, that puts him more on the defensive than the 
title of this article. It is quite probable that the 
painter is now and then to blame for this trouble; and 
yet, when the facts of the matter are laid bare, there is 
no good reason found why he should be held responsi- 
ble in every instance, almost, for this evil. The cases 
wherein he may be held accountable, constitute but a 
small percent as compared with those in which he is 
not. 

The prime causes of sinking in of painted or 
Varnished surfaces; or, as it is some times termed, 
graining OUT; or, still another, the grain of the 
wood showing, and for which the painter may be held 
responsible, I will mention first, in order that he may 
later on be held above suspicion. 

One of the causes he w y ill most likely have to an- 
swer for is painting over imperfectly dried lead coats. 
Sometimes the priming is not allowed to dry thorough- 
ly. Soft, imperfectly dried priming, or lead coats, 
will cause very bad sinking in of the varnish. A 



THE PAINTEKS' EDUCATOR. 123 

roughstuff surface, colored over before the moisture 
has had opportunity to dry out of the pores, will be 
sure to cause graining out, or sinking in. In fact, this 
will develop about the worst form of the trouble in 
question. In man}' cases, for lack of time, the color 
is laid on too soon after the roughstuff has been rubbed. 
At least fifteen hours should elapse between the rubbing 
and coloring. If a roughstuff containing considerable 
lead has been used, the coloring may be done sooner 
than when a quick, porous filler is employed. The 
lead is much firmer, more compact in body, therefore 
takes in and retains less moisture. 

To show that the painter is not the meanest of 
craftsmen, we will endeavor to point out some of the 
causes for which he is not to be held responsible. 

Hard, firm and perfectly dried coats are the only 
means the painter has at his disposal, granting, of 
course, that a sufficient amount of paint and varnish 
are used, by which to hold the finish and luster in 
position. The lack of a proper amount of paint and 
varnish will not always account for the sinking in or 
graining out of the surface. We will now pass on and 
try to throw some light on the other side of the sub- 
ject. 

Unseasoned timber, with a transitory surface 
swelling and shrinking, will cause the surface of the 
wood to show in different forms and conditions at dif- 
ferent times. Timber, during the drying process, is 
very shifting; a new surface being exposed repeatedly 
before reaching the final dry stage. If an unseasoned 
piece of lumber should find its way into the panel of a 



124 TH E PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 

car, or carriage, it is obvious where the paint or var- 
nish will go, and how the grain of the wood will affect 
the surface. It matters not how many coats of paint 
are applied, one or a half dozen, the graining out will 
show itself in some form not altogether pleasing. 

There are cases where the grain of the wood be- 
comes unduly prominent when perfectly dry timber is 
used. A panel that is canvassed on the inside of a 
carriage, phseton, or the like, is quite likely to cause 
trouble, as the glue water from the canvass is sure to 
pass through the wood, causing it to swell and shrink. 
If the painting is done, as it often must be, before this 
opposite action is completed, the paint and varnish 
must take on a new form to suit the changing surface 
of the wood; thus causing a greater or less transforma- 
tion in the painted surface. If you will examiue a 
freshly canvassed panel and see the evolutions take 
place, you will readily see why such panels and other 
w 7 ork should not be primed, or painted, until thor- 
oughly dried. Adjust your microscope, or even the 
naked eye, and see the wood heave up to let the mois- 
ture pass out. You see this gives one condition of the 
surface; and in sinking back, during the process of 
drying, we see still another position of the surface. 
Simply stated this is just what takes place. 

In order to successfully prevent a transforma- 
tion in the surface of a finished piece of work, we 
must have a non-changing surface upon which 
to place the paint and varnish. Each coat of paint 
must be dry before applying a subsequent coat, 
thus retaining a fixed foundation for each coat. In 



THE PAINTEKS' EDUCATOR. 125 

the building up of a painted surface, the workman 
should bear in mind that the combined coatings should 
possess some elasticity, and not the dry, brittle finish 
too frequently resorted to. Each coat of paint should 
be mixed with the view of securing an even drying 
through the entire process, thereby avoiding the su- 
perimposing of a quick drying coat upon one which is 
not thoroughly dry. 

Lumber should not be stored in ill-ventilated and 
ill-lighted rooms, nor placed under the direct rays of 
the sun, which will give a dead visage to the grain of 
the wood. 

The person in charge of property many times 
paves the way f >r graining out or sinking in of 
painted or varnished surfaces, such as the washing of 
freshly painted carriages; and, as the writer has many 
times observed, in the washing of interior varnished 
or painted work, with a hydrant hose, turned on full 
force, using all the water at his command, with a tor- 
rent inside and out. 

The keeping of a carriage around a horse barn, 
where amonia is present in large quantities, is another 
cause of destroying the surface of the varnish, and 
should be avoided, if possible. 

You see there are any number of causes for the 
sinking in and graining out of painted surfaces, 
for which the painter can not be responsible, and 
should receive no condemnation. 



126 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Miscellaneous Remarks. 

Old work. — To remove smoke, dirt and grease, 
wash over the parts with soda water before painting. 



Brushes — That have become dry and hard, may 
be softened by placing them in hot turpentine. Be 
careful not to let it get too hot, nor allow the flame to 
come in contact with the turpentine. 



Care of shellac brush. — To wash and keep a 
shellac brush for future use, just wash it clean when 
through using it with "Gold dust" washing power. 
Wipe dry and straighten the bristles out straight, and 
lay it away. 



Japan relative to oil colors. —Never try to 
mix oil with colors ground in japan, without first 
diluting them well with turpentine; because, if the oil 
is applied first it will curdle the color and make it 
utterly unfit for use. 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 1 27 

To make A dull varnish. — For cheap and quick 
varnished work, requiring a dull finish without the 
expense of rubbing the gloss off, melt a small piece of 
bees- wax in the varnish, which will produce a dull 
glcss, looking like a rubbed surface. 



To keep paint from creeping. — Rub turpen- 
tine on the work before painting; or, by rubbing soda 
over the parts; or, by adding a very small quantity of 
lye to the paint. Be careful, too much will ruin the 
paint. First dilute it in a little water. 



Diluting colors with turpentine. — Always 
dilute colors ground in japan with turpentine before 
attempting to mix them with pigments ground in oil. 
If you fail to do so, the pigment ground in japan will 
curdle at once when compounded with the oil color. 



Colors ground in japan, caution. — Do not 
pour linseed oil over colors ground in japan to keep 
them from getting hard; for the color will harden soon 
after the oil has been placed over the pigment. Al- 
ways cover the pigment ground in japan with turpen- 
tine. 



To bronze high lights on interior metal 
work. — Take black varnish and add sufficient pig- 
ment to make the desired bronze hue. Paint the ar- 



128 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

tides, and when nearly dry, bronze the high lights, 
using the best bronze, applied with a small piece of 
chamois skin; finish with a coat of coach varnish. 



Cleaning cups and buckets. —Put one or two 
boxes of concentrated lye into five gallons of water; 
and into this lye drop the cups or buckets: allowing 
them to re.nain therein from five to eight hours, or 
longer, according to condition. Take them from this 
when the paint is eaten off, and clean in clear water. 



Varnishing a glossy surface. — To varnish 
over a surface without first removing the gloss, just 
sprinkle a little water over the surface as you varnish 
it. The varnish will turn white, looking like soap; 
but it will return to its natural state. This method 
should only be employed when finishing cheap work. 



Oil putty should be made with ra«v linseed oil; 
or, if you add more oil to the putty, for the purpose of 
softening, it should be raw oil; for the reason that it 
will dry through and through alike. If boiled oil is used 
it will dr> r faster on the surface than inside; thereby 
causing the surface to wrinkle, which is so commonly 
seen . 



TO REMOVE PAINT FROM WOOD WITHOUT BURN- 
ING IT off. — Give the surface a heavy coat of strong 



THE PAINTERS EDUCATOR. 1 29 

soft soap, allowing it to remain on the paint from 
twenty four to thirty hours; or until the paint becomes 
soft when it may be scraped off and the surface wash- 
ed free of the sjap. Let the work dry thoroughly, 
then sandpaper it, making the surface level and smooth. 



Setting of geass. — L,arge and medium sized glass 
should be laid in soft putty, (called bedding,) with the 
crown or convex side out. Sink the glass in the putty 
with a steady pressure, until it has an entire putty 
bearing; then, with a chisel, of good weighc, drive the 
glazing points in the sash. Do not place any points 
at the center of the glass, as it will be quite sure to 
crack the glass in time. 



To remove paint from woolen .garments that have 
been brushed against a newly painted surface, when 
gasoline is not accessible; just rub the soiled spot with 
some of the same garment which will remove the paint 
nicely if only a surface soil; but if the paint is well 
rubbed into the fiber of the goods, it will require the 
application of gasoline to remove it, which should be 
done before the paint becomes dry. 



The taking care of brushes. — Brushes which 
are but seldom used, and those used for shellacing, 
should be washed out thoroughly when done with them, 
Gold Dust soap being the thing I know of for this pur- 
pose. The brushes which are in every day use; and 



1^0 The pain'terS' EDtrcA*r6i< ; 

those not used quile so often, may be kept in water'; 
They should have a hole bored through the handle 
in a place where it will not weaken it, and cause it to 
break, and placed en a peg, or wire, just high encugh 
to keep the ends of the bristles off of the bottom of the 
brush box. 



To KEEP MATtTRAt WOOD FINIS*! IN GOOD CON J 

DiTion,— and to remove scratches and mars. With a 
soft rag, saturated with raw linseed oil, rub over the 
surface of the Varnish, leaving just enough oil on the 
surface to remove all scratches and mars, Then with 
a clean, soft rag, wipe the surface dry, being very par- 
ticular to remove all the oil; because, if any ail should 
remain after through, dust would settle on it, and 
after the oil Was dry, the dust could not be removed,- 
thus making the surface of the varnish look rough and 
sandy. This will festore and make old, scratched 
varnish look much like new. Beads and corners 
should be wiped out well, using a rag over the end of 
a sharpened stick for the purpose. 



New brushes, — -When first put into service, 
should not be kept in water for a few days, for the 
reason that they become soft, flabby and non-elastic. 
When through with the brush for the day, it should 
be pasted out on a board,, with the bristles straight 
and close together. This should be practiced each 
evening when through work; until the brush is well 
broken in; after which it may be placed in the brush 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 131 

box along with other brushes. A brush may remain 
pasted out in this way a day or two with out injury 
to it; however, judgment must be exercised as to the 
length of time the brush should be so pasted out. If the 
brush should become too dry, it would render it unfit 
for use, and consume some time to get it in shape 
again. These instructions apply to bristle brushes for 
exterior house painting only. 



The use of varnish. — Sometimes we have heard 
it said that "caution tends to meanness." Such a 
phrase can hardly be applied to the exercise of caution 
in the treatment of varnish. We very frequently meet 
with a painter who finds it convenient to thin the var- 
nish for the purpose of making it work easier, and, in 
many instances to make it cover more surface. This 
practice is as harmful as the mixing of varnish. There 
is, perhaps, occasionally an emergency where it calls 
for the thinning of the varnish. However, such cases 
are rare, and if the stock of varnish has proper- 
ly been stored, and not allowed to become thick 
in the can after being opened, by carelessly neglect- 
ing to re-place the stopper, thinning will be altogeth- 
er unnecessary. 

On work painted with light and delicate colors, 
the varnish is often thinned with a view of preventing 
its staining the surface. Such work and natural 
woods of very light color, should be varnished with 
some light colored varnish instead of thinning a 
heavy bodied and clouded varnish for this pur- 
pose. One of the cardinal virtues of a varnish is a 



I32 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



rich and high luster. The maker of good varnishes 
furnishes it ready for use, combining free and easy 
working qualities, durability and brilliancy; therefore, 
when turpentine is added by the workman, the luster 
and durability of the varnish is impaired. 



To MAKE ENAMEL PAINT FOR HOUSEHOLD USE, 

ETC. — For interior work, use rubbing, or interior var- 
nish. For exterior purposes use No. 1, coach varnish. 
The pigment or coloring for the enamel should first 
be thinned to a semi-state of consistency with turpen- 
tine. Now add to it varnish in quantity enough to 
make it the proper consistency for use. It should be suf- 
ficiently thin to flow freely from the brush. If, after the 
enamel is prepared in this way, it should be too thick, 
and of little covering power, add a little turpentine. 
The turpentine will have a tendency to kill the gloss 
of the varnish, if too much is used. If the enamel is 
dense in color, that is, covers the surface well, you 
may add more varnish instead of turpentine. For 
white enamel use white lead for the pigment, but if 
durability and whiteness are required, use zinc white. 
The latter will make a splendid enamel for inside of bath 
tubs and similar articles, if made a little thin and from 
four to five coats are applied. You may use white lead 
for all ordinary work, as it is more dense; and one or 
two coats will be sufficient. For dull red, use Indian 
red; for bright red, use English vermilion; for brown, 
use Indian red and black in proportions to the shade 
desired; for black, use lamp black or drop black, the 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 133 

latter bein-r much the blackest. This will make a 
very good err.iiiel paint, if combined with No. i coach 
varnish, for painting old buggies where one coat is all 
that you wish to give them. Any tint of enamel may 
be made by adding white to the color; or any shade by 
adding black. The above enamel makes good paint 
for painting chairs, etc. Always remember to use the 
interior varnish for inside work, and the coach varnish 
for outside work. Use a chiseled bristle brush, of the 
proper size to suit the work to be coated. The colors 
used in making the enamel should be procured ground 
in japan. 



134 the painters' educator. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Conclusion. 

In terminating this work, I wish to impress upon 
the mind of the reader that the degree of success at- 
tained in any of the branches of painting herein treat- 
ed, depends upon the constant application of the stu- 
dent, both in study and practice. 

In the belief that painting should be studied as a 
science, as A r ell as practiced as an art, the preceding 
pages have been presented to the public. 

That painting is a science, that there are certain 
established principles observed by all good painters, 
and violated by all bad ones, none will deny who have 
carefully taken up the subject. To understand and 
practically apply these principles should be the prom- 
inent object of the student. 

The design of this work has been to unfold the 
principles of painting in its many branches; to show 
their application to the different forms and kinds of 
woik; to classify them under their appropriate styles; 
and, in connection therewith, to furnish sufficient in- 
formation for cultivation, which may be the means of 
uplifting the now depraved condition of the art of paint- 
ing. 

Without this ai m all cultivation will be of little 



'THE PAINT JSRS'' EDUCATOR. lj§ 

a'vail. There are instances of students of painting who 
have carefully and diligently applied themselves, in 
study and practice^ who have risen high in their pro- 
fession, and derived therefrom all the advantages they 
proposed . 

A radical defect exists somewnere along the line 
of painting, either with the workman, or with the 
material he is too often forced to use'; or, in many cases, 
a combination of the two. Ivet us unite our energies 
and forces to the ultimate uplifting of our profession 
•and the complete routing of cheap and adulterated 
material. As intellect and honesty in the art of paint' 
ing advance, so will the use of low grade material ret- 
rograde and vanish. An experience of nearly twenty- 
six years as a practical painter, in its different branches, 
has convinced the author that the study of painting 
usually ceases where it really should begin, namely: 
with the adoption of just as few principles as can possi- 
bly be acquired, then affixing to their names the too 
often disgraced words, painter, artist, decorator and 
'contractor. 

When the art of painting shall be studied in all 
its phases, and as a science, its principles known and 
put in practice, then, and not till then, will good pain- 
ting be the rule, anil not, as now, the rare exception. 

L,et your aim mount the wings of fame and soar to 
towering heights in the channel of your occupation, 
qualifying yourself that you may be worthy of the 
name you wish to bear. Though you may fall short 
'of the mark you have aimed for, the world, in the aft 
<of painting, will be the better for your having existed,, 



136 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

Many are they who crowd at the bottom, but there is 
plenty of room, and few at the top. Those having 
acquired proficiency in the different branches of paint- 
ing, find themselves in demand and liberally remuner- 
ated in return. 

There are those persons, who, to some exter-t, 
inherit qualities which better adapt them for the oc- 
cupation of painting than other person? less fortunate. 
There are elements in the art of painting, drawing, 
designing and decorating not like those of other oc- 
cupations, and may be characterized iu two ways, 
namely: mechanical and natural ability. Mechanical 
ability is that part of the work which may be imparted 
from one persou to another, while the natural ability 
is that intuitive sense which enables one to immediate- 
ly, without the intervention of argument, or assistance, 
to perform certain parts of the art. 

Let us educate the people at large to know the 
difference in the quality and appearance of good and 
bad work, that they may the better judge for them- 
selves the superior ability of one craftsman over anoth- 
er. I hope the brother knight of the brush who is nat- 
urally qualified, and he who must acquire it all by the 
dint of hard study, will co-operate together in lifting 
aloft the art of painting to such a high standard of 
excellence, that the would-be painter who has been 
dabbling in noxious mixtures, and most discreditably 
applied, will find opportunity to no longer perpetrate 
his practices, which are not only damaging to the 
people in general who have liberally patronized him in 
the past, as well as in the present; and that thedamnif- 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 137 

ic influences which have had so much bearing upon 
the earnings of the skilled artificer, may, by your 
united energies, be forced to quit the ranks of those to 
whom the spoils belong. 

The rules and methods given in this work are 
based upon the good results obtained by the application 
of the same; and buildings painted during a certain 
period, the work having been performed and superin- 
tended by the writer, gave an average percent of seven 
and one-half years; while I obtained a maximum of 
seventeen years by the use of my own mixtures from 
white lead, zinc and linseed oil, the surface still 
remaining intact and free from chalking. Some of 
these buildings were re-painted for appearance sake, 
and others for the protection afforded. 

I only make mention of these facts to show that 
if pure, firstclass material had been used throughout 
the whole list the average percent would have been 
greater. If pure material is used, properly mixed and 
applied, equally as good results may be obtained. 

Realizing the need of a work wherein simple and 
correct methods might be laid down, and the great 
difficulty 'in obtaining good results irom the use of 
much of the defective material with which the market 
is flooded; and the inability of the average workman to 
prepare a paint which will prove satisfactory to him- 
self, as well as to his employer. I have felt it 
my duty to give publicity to the information herein 
contained, and trust that the application of the same 
will be the means of establishing friendly relations be- 
tween the knight of the brush, to whom they may 



138 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

come, and the author. 

Exterior house painting is, perhaps, the most 
common branch of painting; not denned so from a 
point of workmanship, but that which the painter is 
called upon the most frequently to perform. Yet, as 
common as it may appear from any point of view, there 
is more room for improvement and expressive work 
than the student may imagine. 

The uniting of colors in a harmonious arrange- 
ment within themselves, as well as with surrounding 
objects, is a feature in the beautifying of homes that 
can not be treated in a light and careless way. If you 
were asked to arrange upon a card several different 
colors of friendly relations, you would choose those of 
a harmonious character, at the same time combining 
that degree of contrast which would lend prominence, 
and yet mantain that pleasing and agreeable effect so 
characteristic in nature. This is the exact thing you 
should do in the treatment of a line ot houses along a 
street. Each house should have its distinct color, but 
should be a harmonious factor in connection with the 
entire line of colored buildings, not omitting a consid- 
eration of the immediate surroundings. 

Suppose the artist was to paint a beautiful land- 
scape, and in the center thereof would paint a bright 
red barn, or a spotless white house. What would be 
the criticism for such an offense? There could be no 
difference in such a practice than the painting of such 
buildings in reality. 

How offending to the eye, when traveling through 
a beautiful expanse of country, to see nature's har- 



THE PAINTERS 5 EDUCATOR. 139 

monious color effect destroyed by the strong opposing 
colors from the painters' brush. 

Nature paints with the brightest and most vivid 
colors at her command; yet she so modifies them with 
a balancing of neutralizing tints and shades that the 
whole presents the grandest effect — God's handiwork. 

Without the balancing of colors, to place the 
bright and vivid colors in subordination, the entire 
effect would appear gaudy and displeasing; thereby 
combining the sublime and the ridiculous. 

Autumn's display of color should attract the eye 
of him who would be a colorist, with its spread of 
varying tints, shades and hues— high lights of white 
and Naples yellow, and with bright red scattered here 
and there, varying in tints in all the degrees to which it 
is susceptible. Shades ranging from the most delicate to 
stronger, in great contrast. The whole assemblage of 
color, intermingled with the now fast receding greens 
in all its possible variations, comprising a beautiful 
and grand arrangement, at once pleasing and awestrik> 
iug to the beholder. 

"Diligence is the mother of good luck, and Cod 
gives all things to industry. Then plow deep while 
the sluggard sleeps, and you shall have corn to sell and 
to keep. Work while it is today, for one today is 
worth two tomorrows." 



THE END. 



140 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



Index* 



Page. 

Introduction 9 

Preface 10 

Painting wood work, etc., on interior of 

buildings 11 

Painting the exterior of buildings 15 

The second and third coats 16 

Natural wood finish for interior of buildings 

and furniture 20 

How to make oil shellac 24 

Staining natural wood to imitate walnut, 

cherry and rose wood 25 

For staining walnut 25 

Cherry stain 25 

Rose wood stain 26 

Painting plastered walls in oil and distemper 

colors 27 

Preparing the walls 27 

Damp walls 27 

To dry damp walls 28 

Cooling plastered walls 28 

Mixing and applying second coat of paint to 

walls, puttying cracks, etc., — Mixing 

wall putty 29 

The finishing of walls in oil finish 31 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 141 

Finishing the walls in distemper color 34 

The striping 35 

Mixing the distemper color 35 

Stippling the walls 37 

How to do the striping '. 38 

Stenciling or decorating , • . 42 

The washing of the stencil 45 

Washing walls painted with distemper col- 
ors, or finished with paint mixed in oil 46 

To wash the walls and ceiling 47 

To make the saturated solution 47 

Washing varnished work 48 

How to grain in oil color 49 

Grounding color 50 

Mixing the graining color for oak 50 

Checking 55 

Grounds and graining color 58 

Combination of colors for ceilings and side 

walls in distemper colors 61 

Rules for making sixty one different colors... 63 

How to paint a carriage , 67 

Finishing the running gear 67 

First coat 67 

Puttying 69 

Second coat 70 

Coloring 74 

Color varnishing 74 

Finishing coat : 77 

The varnishing 78 

The taking care of the brushes 81 

Hintson glazing color 84 



142 THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 

For a dull red 84 

Wine color 84 

Painting the carriage body 87 

Coloring the body 91 

Varnishing the body ' 92 

Color:- and some of their chief characters k . 96 

White lead 97 

Flake white 98 

Zinc white 98 

Ivory black 99 

Lamp black 99 

Vermilion.. 100 

Lake ior 

Carmine io t 

Indian red 10 1 

Purple brown 102 

Red lead 102 

French ultramarine 104 

Prussian blue 104 

Chrome yellow 104 

Yellow ochre 104 

Raw sienna 105 

Burnt sienna 105 

Vandyke brown 105 

Emerald green 105 

Summary of some of the pigments 106 

Hints on coloring 108 

Gold leal and gilding 112 

Gilding, bronzing and burnishing. Instruc- 
tions for amateurs 117 

Linseed oil 119 



THE PAliNTERS' EDUCATOR. I43 

The sinking in of painted, or varnished sur- 
faces 122 

Miscellaneous remarks..... 126 

Old work 126 

Brushes 126 

Care of shellac brushes 126 

Japan relative to oil colors 126 

To make a dull varnish 127 

To keep paint from creeping 127 

Diluting colors with turpentine 127 

Colors ground in japan 127 

To bronze high lights on interior metal work 127 

Cleaning cups and buckets 128 

Varnishing a glossy surface 128 

Oil putty , 128 

To remove paint from wood without burning 

it off 128 

Settiug of glass 129 

To remove paint from woolen garments 129 

The taking care of brushes 129 

To keep natural wood finish in good condition. 130 

New brushes 130 

The use of varnish 131 

To make enamel paint for household use, etc. 132 

Conclusion 134 

ERRATA. 



"Three" and one half gallons should read 

"two" and one half gallons 17 



144 



THE PAINTERS' EDUCATOR. 



Six "inches" should read six "inch" 

Letter "s" should be "e" in word "the''.. 
Word "out" in last line should be omitted. 
The character No. ' iI / 2 " should be No. "o" 
The letter "r" is omitted from word "red. 



Page. 
32 
32 

69 

73 
108 



IF YOU 

ARE 

THINKING 

of painting iron roofs, metal work 
or bridges, it will certainly pay 
you to write for informa= 
tion concerning DIXON'S SILICA- 
GRAPHITE PAINT. No paint 
can equal it in covering capacity 
and durability. 

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co,, 

JERSEY CITY, N. J. 



..SAVE MONEY BY USING.. 
• DULL-EINE* 

A FLAT VARNISH 
EQUAL TO THE 
BEST RUBBED 
WORK AT - . 

HALF THE COST 



For All Kinds of Woods whore a 

finish is required — therefore 

if saves labor. 



SAMUEL F. WOODHOUSE. 

FILLER AND COLOR WORKS, 

Frankford. Phila.. Pa. 



-*~ JK-AT rHE-JK— <f 



Painters' 

Convention 

HELD AT HARRISBURO, PA. 



"Mr. Wolff said he thought the pure lead 
with poor oil -will not work as well as adul- 
terated lead and pure oil." 

"Mr. Bogh wanted to know when he is going 
to get pure oil He has paid high prices for 
oil and found it no good." 



EVERYWHERE painters complain of paint losing gloss 
and decaying rapidly. They are beginning to realize 
the oil is at fault. You'll find the reason in our new book- 
let "The Life of Paint." A postal card will bring it. 
You can avoid paint trouble by using 

WOODHOUSE'S 

Excelsior : Linseed : Oil, 

Manufactured by 

Woodhouse Excelsior Manufacturing Co. 

703 Real Estate Trust Building, 
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



D.F.TIEMANN&CO 

!M WTF AC l UUi:US \ M) I [YI P(»JC TKKS <H 

COLORS 

PAINTS 



-AND- 



FOR ALL PURPOSES 



CARMINE, . . . Pure and Nacarat 
LAKES, . Chatemuc, Rose and Scarlet 

ROSE PINK . . and . . DUTCH PINK 
VERMILIONS, English, American and Imitation 
BLUES, . Soluble, Chinese and Prussian 

GREENS, C.P., Frankfort Excelsior and Chrome 
YELLOWS, C.P., Eureka, Claremont, Venetian 
and Chrome. 

DROP BLACKS, LAMP BLACKS, 

UMBERS, SIENNAS, 

tMres, Zinc Whites, TUsGan and 
Indian Reds, 

OXIDES, &c, &c. 

44 AND 46 DUANE STREET, 
NEW YORK, N. Y. 



D. F. Tiemann & Co. 



: : : THIS HOUSE, ORIGINALLY established 
by Anthony Tiemann in 1807, is the pioneer in the 
m anufactnre of colors in the United States. Prior to 
its establishment all colors were imported from England 
or Germany and France; but today all the principal col- 
ors used are made by D. F. Tiemann & Co. There are 
none better and the "Tiemann Colors" are standard 
for comparison in all places where colors are used. 
Much, if not all, of their success is due to the fact that 
each department of the color manufacturing is under 
the personal supervision of a member of the family, 
who has had a thorough practical instruction in color 
making; and with now ninety-four years of experience, 
it follows that they know their business. Their ad- 
vertisement shows, in part, the line of goods made by 
them; and if good colors are wanted they can supply 
them. 



TURNEY 'S 
CLIMAX 

POLISH. 

-FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING- 

PIANOS, FURNITURE, 

INTERIOR NATURAL WOOD FINISH 
AND ALL VARNISHED WORK. 

IT IS PAR EXCELLENCE FOR THE FINAL POL 
ISHING OF VARNISH, WHERE A HIGHLY 
BRILLIANT SURFACE IS REQUIRED 

It contains ingredients of the greatest 
polishing power known to science. 

T. C. TURNEY, 

MANUFACTURER, 

Nevada, : : : : ohio. 




Superfine 
Colors. 



•o+o- 



High Grade Varnishes 

Fillers 

Enamels 

Stains 

Floor Wax 
Painters' Sundries Etc. 

SEND FOR SAMPLE CARD AND PRICES 

FELTON, SIBLEY & CO. 

Importers, Manufacturers and Exporters 

136=140 North Fourth St., 
PHILADELPHIA. 



Tliere is a. sa-virxgr iaa. money and. a. g-ain iaa. satisfac- 
tion for 3ro-u._-wl3.er2. cLealiri-gf^-c^-ltli. 

5 TEHGIL TREASURY, 

THEO. G. WIGGERS, Prop. 
—HEADQUARTERS FOR— 

Specialties and Tools 

— FOR— 

DECORATORS, 

PAINTERS, 

GRAINERS AND 

PAPER HANGERS. 

Our goods are just as represented— to a dot. We manu- 
facture and import, ourselves. We rather refund money 
than allow dissatisfaction. We give more value for less 
money than any other house. 

Promptest attention and dispatch. 

One order will convince that you have found the best place to buy. 

STENCH. TREASURY, 

209 E. 59th St., New York. 



NORRIS B. GREGG, pres 

WM. H.GREGG Jr., vice pres 

E. H. DYER, SECRETARY 

MOUND CITY 
PAINT & COLOR CO., 

ST. LOUIS, MO. 
MANUFACTURERS OF 

HIGHEST QUALITY 
PAINTS and COLORS. 

CRUSHERS OF 

Guaranteed Strictly Pure 
Linseed Oil. 

MANUFACTURERS OF 

High Grade Varnishes 
for All Purposes, 



M^r 




Transfer letters 
in gold and sil- 
ver. Fresco and 
lettering stencils. 
Alluminun let- 
ters. Enameled 
steel signs. Im- 
itation stained 
glass decoration, 



send for illustrated price list 



Room 2, 260 Clark St , 

CHICAGO, ILL. 



TRADE MARK. 



You should try 2£ 

CLIMAX POLISH, 

A perfect cleaner and polisher; intended for use 
on high grade work. 



T. G TURNEY, Nevada, Ohio. 



aoi 



ONE COPY RECEIVED 
JUN 5 1901 



